The House of Chanterelle
by Akino Hakume
Summary: The most beautiful men and women inhabit it's walls and it's the most prestigious club in the city. When the innocent stumble in, even their darkest fantasies will come to life in the butterfly's arms. Just name your poison and close your eyes AxRox R/S
1. Prologue

A/N: this was a plot I wrote at random and I decided turn it into a fan fiction. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is copyright to Square Enix but I sure wish I did. I would totally make a shonen-ai game.

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**The House of Chanterelle**

_Chanterelle's Kiss - a colorless orderless poison that causes blissful illusions before the victim dies._

Prologue

"**Pulled From the Wreckage"**

The rain bore down on the darkened city as the fall storms rolled in relentlessly. The world was gray as it had been since September. Midday was a strange time for lives to change. Usually, great changes came over night or during the wee hours of the morning or the evening even. But no, this change had come when the sun should have been high in the sky but was blotted out by the angry storm clouds. This change came when the lightening struck hard splitting the sky painfully in two. Separation was the theme, a broken home was the place, a rainy afternoon was the time, and the players where already there. There was the stoic blonde haired boy sitting in the upstairs window of a rundown house. Watching the storm roll by with guarded eyes usually blue as the sky but were now dark reflecting the gray skies. There was the weak brunette whose hair was akin to cinnamon sat in bed rocking madly, his whimpers breaking the reigning silence. They were skinny, weak and overall helpless in their situations. Why? Well, the weak brunette and the stoic blonde were victims of an addicted mother

As twins, the addiction should've killed the both. But by the grace of fate, they were born alive but barely. Their mother had went clean during the first two years of their lives but soon her new boyfriend turned her back on to it. By the time they were fourteen the evil man had turned them on to it. It was strange how the subtle pain in the blonde and racking agony in the brunette went away from just one little shot. The stoic blonde craved the heroine but he only took in small doses when he could steal it from their mother. The weak brunette had carried the addiction in the worst way. Since he was born he was the weaker sicker one and now feeding the addiction was the only thing keeping him stable. They were both trapped.

Now however, the blonde had had enough and had made his brother strong enough through care to get him off of it. He had fought hard with himself using the fact that his brother needed him to fight the monster that was consuming them. He won had been clean for a few weeks now though it had been hard as hell not to pick up that needle that had been sitting so invitingly in his mother's room. Now he sat silently as his brother had gone through the withdrawal for two days now. He'd fought hard against the blonde. He'd punched and kicked him trying to get to the hidden stash in their mother's room. He had begged and pleaded claiming he would do anything to get it back. Now, the brunette had resigned himself to be buried in his own mind as his own will to power warred with his will to submission. Finally, after another hour or so, the brunette lay on the bed clinging to the pillow and trembling violently.

"Roxas?"

The blonde turned away from the window and looked into the dulled blue eyes of his twin with a careful smile. He wanted to show that he was still there, still around. His brother didn't deserve to go through it alone.

"What is it, Sora?"

"…I think…I'm thirsty…" he said hoarsely.

The blonde's smile became more sincere as he got up from his seat by the window. "Then I'll get you some water. I hid some at the back of the fridge from that bastard. Just try to stay awake until I get back okay."

Sora nodded weakly. "Hurry back."

Roxas ventured outside of the room checking the hallways for any noise. Silence, good, they were still out. He left the room closing it tightly behind him before walking downstairs cautiously. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he was scared stiff of finding someone in the house, mainly they're mother. He confidently went into the kitchen when no one ambushed him and got a bottle of water for Sora that he had saved up for him. Roxas had become one hell of a thief over the years and used what money he got to pay for food and water for him and his brother. Even with the addiction so bad he never forgot his need for simple nourishment. He never forgot because he needed to remember for both of them.

He came back of stairs to Sora haphazardly leaning against the wall. Roxas sat on the bed and opened the bottle for his brother pressing to his chapped lips so that he could drink. He tilted it a bit to wet those parched lips and was happy to see Sora able to drink it with out gagging. He was even happier when Sora tried to guzzle the water down but he had to stop him before he ended choking.

"Easy, Sor," he warned pulling the bottle away from him. "Don't want to over do it."

"Right," he whispered weakly. Sora fell forward and rested his head on Roxas's chest as his trembling continued. "Is it okay for me to sleep now, Rox?"

"Yeah," he said putting the bottle aside for later. "Go ahead and get some sleep. Maybe I can get you into real food tomorrow."

"I miss soup. You know the real stuff with noodles and stuff," Sora murmured tiredly. "Can I have soup?"

"Yeah, of course you can. I promise I'll get you some soup when you get better enough."

"Thanks Rox." Sora's eyes closed as he fell into the first peaceful sleep since he had started his withdrawals. "I love you."

Roxas laughed a little. "Love you too, Sor."

It wasn't long before Roxas had drifted off as well. This proved to be a mistake on his part and he hadn't realized until he and Sora were knocked violently out of bed. Sora cried out in pain and Roxas grunted but was over Sora quickly to protect him. He stared up at the tall figure of his mother's boyfriend. He spat at them trying to kick them apart though Roxas kept a tight grip on Sora.

"Two faggots been in my stash again haven't you!"

Roxas let out a grunt of pain as that shoe connected with his side. "We haven't been in anything, you son of a bitch! Go to that whore you call your girlfriend. She's probably the one whose been taking it!"

"You little bastard!" he yanked Roxas up by his hair forcing him to let go of Sora who tried to hold on to him. He got the same bottle of water thrown in his face. "You've been selling my shit to buy food for your whore of a brother again haven't you!"

"Let me go!" Roxas screamed kicking at the man. He knew the man wouldn't let him go and that was how he wanted it. He had to keep the man's attention of Sora and his weakened state. He made sure to keep him distracted while Sora cowered by the bed.

"Baby, look, I found it!" His mother leaned against the door with her clothes half on. She was already buzzed; he could see it in her eyes. She held up a paper bag that Roxas had seen all to often. "Come on, they ain't worth it. Let's get back to business."

"Shut up bitch, I'll decide if they're worth it or not!" He threw him down and slid a bit hitting his head against the bed. Sora's arms were around him quickly and he buried his face in Roxas's chest.

"Don't fucking talk to me like that," she spat. "Besides, didn't ya hear? Little Roxie thinks he's clean and he's trying to get Sora to follow along with him!"

No! Roxas pulled Sora behind him and used his body to shield him from the narrowed eyes of the man who had kindled their addiction. He smirked and painfully grabbed Roxas by his arm yanking him to his feet.

"So you tryin to skip out on us now, blondie?"

"Sora deserves better than this, you asshole! Leave him alone!"

"Oh, did you ask Sora if he wanted to get off the ride, Roxie?!"

He saw his mother out of the corner of his eye approach Sora and pull the weak boy up and put him on the bed. The bastard laughed at how Sora struggled weakly unable to do anything in his state while his own mother pinned him down.

"That's it babe! Show the little fairy that he still likes to fly!"

Roxas punched him the face the minute he saw his mother take a tourniquet out of the bag and tie it Sora's already abused arm. When the man was dazed by the sudden attack, Roxas broke loose and tried to pull his mother away from him. He only got a hairs reach from her before he yanked away from him and a knocked to the floor. A boot was put into his back to keep him from moving and all he could was watch and listen to that evil bastards laugh. His eyes grew wide when he saw the amount his mother had put in the syringed. He struggled to get up then shouting at her. She was too high! She didn't know what the hell she was doing.

"Mom! Please! That's too much you'll kill him!"

"Fuck you, kid," she snapped back. "I've been doing this since before you were born! I know what the hell I was doing. Besides, you know how much little Sora likes it!"

"Stop! He'll OD!" Roxas shouted to no avail. He could only watch as his own mother, the woman who bore them, slid the needle into Sora's vein and threw almost a week's worth of work down the drain. She got off of him and Sora lay there trembling and then he began to convulse.

Their mother shrugged. "Awe looks like he couldn't take it. Look, he's taking bad to it."

"Let him fuckin die! One less brat to worry about!

Roxas felt the weight on his back lifted. His eyes were full of tears of worry for his brother as he was pulled to his feet and forced to face the man.

"When he dies, take him out back and dump in the trash where the little fag belongs!"

Roxas sad nothing and the two of them laughed their way out of the room. Ignoring the throbbing in his spine he threw himself on to the bed and began patting Sora's face. He gasped when saw the brunette's nose begin to bleed and his pupils were at needle point. A doctor, Roxas thought frantically. He had to get him to a doctor. Using what was left of his strength he wrapped Sora in the blanket and carried him out of that hellhole of a house. He stumbled through the run down ghetto never realizing how far the local clinic was until now. Sora just wouldn't stop shaking and Roxas's heart wouldn't stop pounding. He took the short cut through the alley only to trip over some garbage and sent him and Sora to the ground. He groaned and lifted himself up cradling Sora in his arm. The rain caused the blood coming from his nose to run all over his face and his eyes had closed. Roxas shook his head and held Sora to him as he felt for his brother's heart. There was barely a beat.

"Sora, please, we're almost there!" Roxas cried into Sora's hair. He was too lost in his own anguish to notice the shadow looming over him.

"Are you alright?" A sweet melodic voice rang in his ears.

Roxas's head snapped up to look at the stranger who held and umbrella over them. A woman stood over them with impossibly light blond hair and amber tinted eyes that sparked with almost inhuman light. Her skin was like porcelain and glowed in the dreary shadow of the day. She wore a white coat wrapped securely around her and her pretty boots kept her feet from being touched by the rain. She smiled and knelt down in front of them not letting her legs touch the puddle ridden ground. She eyed Roxas's face as if inspecting it and then she looked down at Sora and pity came to her eyes.

"Oh, such beautiful children and pure souls," she brushed Sora's cheek as his breathing became more shallow. "Such a waste."

Roxas held Sora out to her. "Please…please, ma'am. Help us! I'll do anything just please, don't let Sora die."

She was taken aback by they're offer but she smiled warmly. "Dear child, you do not know what you ask of me."

"I don't care! If you can save him, please do it. Our mother made him OD on heroin and I'm too weak to get him to the clinic for help. He's dying! Please, I'll do whatever you want just do something!"

She touched Sora's face again. Two injured butterflies in a dirty back alley were crying out to her of all people for help. She sighed and smiled grimly. "How old are you and he, child?"

"We're sixteen!"

"Sixteen. Just barely the age requirement." She took Sora in her arms and tilted his head back. "I will help you and save him first. But you will not attack me for what I am about to do. Swear you will remain where you are and I will save your Sora."

Roxas nodded frantically. "I swear just please, he's dying!"

"No child has ever died in my arms," she whispered. She leaned forward and kissed Sora's nose gently as a strange greeting. Amazingly the brunette calmed down a bit as if he sensed the benevolent presence near him. "Let this passing pain put you at peace so that you may never know pain again."

She held Sora close to her and pushed his shirt away from his neck. Slowly and gently she bit into the brunette's neck. She…was some kind of sick vampire freak! Roxas's eyes were wide with horror and he fought hard to move but something told him to stay where he was. Something held him there and made him honor his promise. He didn't know whether it was fear, fascination or the sheer hope that somehow this would help Sora! This angel had come to them and offered the help when she could've left them there. He had to place a blind trust in her that she would save Sora.

The woman sucked away the tainted blood that flowed through Sora's veins. She had to fight gagging at the taste of such filth contaminating sweet and innocent blood such as this. Every now and then she pulled away and spat the dirty blood onto the concrete. She kept going until all she tasted was pure clean blood. The boy was pale as a ghost by then. She was amazed that the boy still breathed. He was strong even though he was half dead. He possessed the will to power and that was more than the will to survive. That alone was the true trait of her kind. She laid Sora partially on the ground and lifted up the sleeve to her raincoat. Using her fangs she tore into her own wrist.

"Boy?" she called softly through blood tainted lips.

Roxas snapped out of his terrified daze and looked at the woman. She held Sora's head for him and the message was clear. He reached out hesitantly and opened Sora's mouth. He turned away when the blood began to poor into the brunette's mouth and cringed when he heard his brother swallow. He jumped and snapped back to attention when Sora suddenly moved on his own and he rose up to bite into the wrist that hovered above him. Roxas backed away and looked between her and his brother. She pulled her wrist away and Sora whined a bit. Her wrist sealed itself and she shook her arm so that her sleeve would fall back over it. She then looked at Roxas.

"Do not be frightened by him, Roxas." She said soothingly.

"How did you know my name?! What did you do to him?!"

"I only did as you asked. He even told me your name and about your mother. Look, he's alright now."

Sora's eyes slowly opened and he stared at the sky in a strange sort of high. With a slow blink he began to sit up and was amazed by himself. He moved of his own strength and those once dull blue eyes were bright and blue as a clear sky. His skin was healthy and beautiful just like it was when they had been little. He looked at Roxas and smiled throwing himself into the blonde's arm. Roxas was too much in shock but hesitantly he hugged his brother. He was warm. He was warm and alive.

"Sora…" was all he said before he buried his face into Sora's hair.

The woman smiled serenely at them. "I'm afraid my blood was not enough, Roxas."

"What?" He felt Sora nuzzle him.

"Roxas, I'm still thirsty," Sora moaned against his throat.

Roxas wasn't stupid and it didn't take him long to figure out what the woman meant. "I get it; you wanted us both, right?"

The woman shook her head. "This was your choice. If you do not wish to be like him then I will take him but you will have to sta-"

"NO! Wherever we go, we go together." Roxas said firmly.

"Very well, then. Let him feed and I will take you both back with me."

He flinched only a little when he felt Sora nibble at his throat lightly. "Who…are you?"

"I'm called Valkyrie."

"Val-" he grimaced when Sora sunk his teeth into his neck. "Sora!"

Valkyrie only watched as the blonde's eyes closed from the sudden loss of blood. The brunette had panicked when he realized what he had done but at Valkyrie's soothing words and gentle explanations he came to understanding. It only took a moment for her show Sora how to unite them forever.

That night, Valkyrie walked into the House of Chanterelle with two new butterflies to add to her house of fantasies.

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A/N: Sorry about the beginning. Please don't flame me for it. This is my first fic and I worked hard to correct any mistakes. I was really hesitant to put it up but maybe someone will be interested in it. I hope someone out there recognizes the character Valkyrie. First one to recognize her gets a pairing request!


	2. Episode One: Part One

The House of Chanterelle

Episode One – part one

"**The Moth and the Flame"**

**--**

_**Twenty Years Later…**_

_"Axel, I'm sorry but I can't commit to this relationship like you want me to."_

_"What are you talking about, Larx?"_

_"Well, you've been so moody since you became vice president at your dad's company and you've spent so much time with Riku! I think we need a break."_

_Axel snorted. He saw where this was going. "Larxene, we don't need a break! Just say it already so we can get on with our lives."_

_She gave a strange sort of pout that mixed with a glare. "Alright! I can't do this anymore! I'm seeing someone else!"_

_"See that wasn't so hard. Oh I should act surprised. Give me a second." Axel cleared his throat. "Oh I can't believe you would do something like this to me."_

_"This is why I can't stand to be with you anymore. You've become such an asshole since you started working! You think you're so great now and here I am trying to make this easier on you. I didn't want to hurt you Ax!"_

_"Of course you didn't actually __**want**__ to hurt me, you just happened to stumble upon that nerve while fucking around with someone else."_

_"Axel, don't make this harder than it already is."_

_"Heh, you're acting as if I'm begging you to stay. Here I'll make it easier on __**you**__." He went to the door and opened it. "Look Larx, the door's open. Come on, you can do it."_

_Larxene hadn't planned on this being Axel breaking up with her. How had it gotten turned around? "Don't do this with me, Axel. I hate to say it but I do still love you."_

_"Very funny," he said blandly. "To be technical, __**you**__ did this; you're the one who's cheating. Now, the door's open. You're either staying or leaving. It can't be both."_

_Larxene rolled his eyes. "Fine! I'll be back when you get your fucking head out of your ass!" She grabbed her purse and walked through the door with her nose in the air._

_Axel shut the door behind her hitting her on her Dolce & Gabana clad ass. _

"_You son of a bitch!" He heard her scream._

"_Ugh! You're still there!"_

_He heard her stomp off fussing about ignorant redheads. Axel leaned back against a door and put a thin cigar to his lips. _

" _At least that wasn't overly dramatic."_

Even as a man, Axel had to admit that he had been wounded by Larxene's infidelity. It was a blow to his pride more than anything considering how hard he had worked on her. He had everything anyone could want. He had his own place, a nice car, his own money and a future that guaranteed success. He was wealthy and on his way to being one of the most powerful men in the country. So what had he done to drive Larxene into some other poor bastard's arms? He guessed it was the fact that even with all of the time they had been together, Axel never said nor felt any type of love for Larxene.

He had met her at a party with his dad's well-to-do friends. He had been expected to take an interest in her and she made it pretty obvious that she wanted him. Hell, their first copulation had been in the bathroom on that exact night. She was more of a trophy girl than anything worth keeping. Yet, as expectations grew, they had been forced into a faux pas relationship where it was agreed that since they had screwed once they had to be together as girlfriend and boyfriend.

Anyone could see that Larxene was as promiscuous, and anyone could see that Axel's tastes were a little bit classier than just a bathroom fuck. Larxene just happened to be wearing that black dress a little too well after he had one to many glasses of wine. She was expected to be his model wife for when he took over the company from his father. Turning Larxene's sleazy gold-digging ways into actual girlfriend material had been quite the effort on his part. So much for that project was all that could be said. Oh well, Axel hated looking at his old work anyway.

He needed a new project, something to keep him occupied until his father found him another debutant to toy with. A bored Axel was not pleasant to have around and was an expensive hazard to his father's reputation. Axel was a perfect person who liked to temper things to perfection with the fires of his own hands and attention. When he chose a project to forge into his own creation, the heat was always too much and they always became disillusion about his feelings for them. That flammable boredom was the reason he had taken up his fellow co-worker's offer to go out that night. It was also this reason that he had been pulled into the dark passion play that is this story.

The evening was quiet and it was raining again. It was a light passing storm that would leave the night air hot and sticky. The city had slipped into hot nights and sunny days as April slipped into May. It was a nice reprieve to have it raining in the early evening. Axel didn't even realize he had fallen asleep until his watch went off with its annoying beeping. The poor piece of jewelry had met a swift end against the wall. He got up painfully slowly from his comfortable bed. He still felt tired with having gotten only a few hours of sleep. He had about an hour before Riku and Yuna showed up. Enough time to make his zombie like appearance look presentable for whatever club he was being dragged to.

He took a good hot shower trying to steam the sleep away from his eyes and blow dried his unruly hair. Axel had always been careful about his appearance. True enough his blood tinted hair was forever wild, but it was always clean, soft and ready for questing fingers to run through it. His richly tanned skin was well taken care of and glowed with youth and good health His body was…well he preferred to say lean but others would say skinny. It was not unhealthy, just surprising for someone who lived so well. He may have been skinny but everyone knew there was strength lying just beneath that brown sugar tinted skin.

He looked into his sleep deprived eyes and stick his tongue out at his reflection. He promised himself that when he got home, he would burn the sheets and flip the mattress so that he could sleep in his own bed and not smell Larxene's overpriced perfume. It was starting to get on his nerves now that the girl had been gone for nearly two weeks now.

He picked out a dark wine red dress shirt with a pair of loose slacks to wear out. He wanted to be comfortable and had no intention of putting on his tailor made leisure suits for a night out. That was just unnecessary since he wasn't in his hunting mood. He slipped a gold chain around his neck with a chakram pendent dangling from it. By the time Riku knocked on his door, he was toeing on his shoes. He answered the door and blinked in surprise. Not for Riku mind you, but for Yuna who stood next to him with a smile on her face. She beamed at him with her hands behind her back. her petite body covered by a pink Chinese dress, patterned with white butterflies. It hugged her form tightly and pronounced the curves that were normally hidden by her everyday work clothes. Her short hair was pulled back and pinned up leaving only few brown strands to dangle in her face.

"You look good, Axel," she said sweetly with a wink. "Very hot!"

"Not so bad yourself! I almost hate that we're co-workers," Axel looked at Riku who was rolling his eyes. "Riku please tell me _all _the girls that work there dress like this. Is it really their uniform?"

"Of course it is, you know Yuna wouldn't wear something so scandalous without it being necessary." Riku said with a smirk.

"Oh stop flattering me, you both know I have a boyfriend. Now let's go. I have to be one time or I'll get in trouble!"

Riku smirked and looked up at Axel. "You heard the lady, move your ass!"

Axel made mocking faces behind Riku's back. Yuna chatted excitedly as Riku drove them to the club. She kept saying how much he would love it there. He was sure he'd hate it by the time they got there if she didn't stop telling him about it. Riku swung the car into the crowded parking lot. Axel had never seen so many limos and classy cars in one place nor so many well dressed people. Hell, the last time he was among the social elite was when Larxene and he were forced to make an appearance at that dumb corporate mixer and that was nearly two years ago. He usually tended steer clear of socialites. Riku parked the car and opened the door for Yuna. Once Axel had gotten out, Yuna had taken his arm and led him into the entrance where he saw other girls dressed like her flocking in past groping hands and suggestive smirks. They were all drop-dead sexy in those outfits. They passed a wall-like gate and when Axel saw the actual building his jaw dropped. It was beautiful. A large Chinese palace painted blood red with paint and glowing with gorgeous lamps. Music and lights filled the walkway to the palace and a large glowing sign sparkled showing a butterfly taking off from the top of a mushroom.

"Wow," Axel laughed. "Riku, I give you props. I am thoroughly impressed."

Yuna snickered. "I told you it was wonderful. Now I'll have to go with the other girls and start work. Give me your hand."

Axel curiously gave it to her while taking in the lights and nice bodies floating around. Yuna stamped his hand with a black ink butterfly and kissed it leaving the stain of her pink lipstick. He looked at her in confusion but she only smiled.

"This is your ticket for a one night fantasy. Hope you brought something to tip the masseuse!"

"Right, I'll make Riku pay for it."

"Sorry, but money's going to be feeding my own bad habits," Riku said coolly.

"Fine, leave me hanging," he looked at the lipstick smudge. "Someone doesn't use infallible lip color. What's this for, Yuna?"

She winked. "It'll let you get a certain type of special type of treatment tonight on me! You could really use it after that whole Larxene fiasco!"

"Thanks I think."

"Oh you'll want to do more than thank me once you've had your night with a butterfly. I gotta get to work. Just stick with Riku. He knows where to go."

Axel looked at Riku suspiciously but the silver haired man simply shook his head and smirked. Yuna went to join the steady stream of uniformed girls who took a different entrance. Axel followed Riku as they were caught in the stream of people entering Chanterelle. The inside was just as impressive. They traveled down a long hall of display cages where both men and women sat like alluring dolls in a window of fantasy. Pouty lips, sultry eyes, and lust-worthy flesh called to the passersby with words of welcome. All of them showed their best smiles and even though they were fully clothed in elegant robes, they were positively seductive. Axel might as well have been turned around by all their ethereal faces and he could only be carried by the stream of guests. They all stopped at a set of gold trimmed doors where too beautiful identical girls in finely tailored kimonos sat on the floor. They smiled together and stood up from the floor.

Riku leaned over to Axel. "That's Kairi and Naminé, the Burmese Jezebels."

"The what?"

"They're 'butterflies', Axel. They're called the Burmese Jezebels. Strict women if you ever saw any. They make sure the rules of the House aren't broken."

Axel whispered. "I'd a break a few rules on them alright."

Riku scoffed. "You'd do it by yourself. I wouldn't screw around with them even if they paid me to."

"Why not?"

"They're cold blooded killers in the worse way.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," they said together. "Whether it be those who are new or those who are returning, the Burmese Jezebels would like to welcome you to the House of Chanterelle."

"Whisper your fantasy to us and we will make it come true," Naminé said innocently.

"Choose your poison and we shall slay you before the night is over," Kairi said in a sultry voice.

They spoke in sync again. "But the rules of the house still apply even to those who are new."

Axel arched his eyebrow at all the impatient men and women around he and Riku. "Jeez, are all these people that desperate for a little attention?"

"Heh, desperation has nothing to do with it."

"Here are the rules for those poor souls who have wandered in from the outside world," they said their voices taking a more serious tone. "It is a special night, it is the White Imperial's choice so please be prudent with your desires lest you scare them away. Once you enter here you have the freedom to enjoy whatever pleasures you will, but you will not fight, you will not disgrace this house, and you will not harm our butterflies. The Madam sees and the Madam knows. Tear a single wing asunder and you will wish you never knew of this place."

"And that means?" Axel asked softly.

"It means don't get carried away. These are not whores here, you don't abuse them like you would a common prostitute. Some pretty sick people have passed through here and have disappeared just as quickly. No one messes with Madam Valkyrie or her butterfly collection."

"If you are to stay the night and enjoy the kiss of Chanterelle, be warned. Once the gates are closed and the red lights are on, you are not to leave this place. We ask that you enjoy your stay and cause no unnecessary violence in the house. If you do otherwise, the world that you have built for yourself will be destroyed.

Axel gave Riku a strange look which he laughed at. "I've seen people lose whole fortunes and their businesses that they've built from scratch just for fucking with a butterfly. Basically, you fuck up their world, they'll fuck up yours."

"Damn, remind me not to act like myself," Axel murmured. "What kind of place is this?"

"One of a kind," Riku sighed. "Trust, it's worth it. You know those White Imperials? The best in this entire place and one of them is mine tonight."

"oh, Riku got his hand in the best of cookie jars!"

"Always in the best of taste."

The girls slipped back into their seductive smiles and coy expressions. They each took a door and looked at the crowd with hypnotic eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen," they said finally. "Welcome to the House of Chanterelle."

The doors were open and Axel and Riku walked into the large theater like room decorated with red, gold, and black. The carpet was midnight black and the walls were just as red as outside with golden butterflies impressed all over them. Table sets, leather couches and cherry wood furniture filled the room with a relaxed air. The bar was full of crystal glasses and Axel saw that most of the alcohol was in such high taste he wasn't even sure some of these people could afford one bottle. A hostess in pink stood at every table with welcoming smiles and promises of a pleasurable evening. He saw Yuna standing cutely in the corner where a man with blue colored hair walked toward her and she began to talk animatedly with him. He kissed her hand and told her something in her ear to which she giggled.

"Not that I'm one to talk," Axel said with amusement. "But I've met Yuna's boyfriend and that ain't him."

Riku looked over and laughed. "That's Seymour. He's a proprietor from Yevon. You know that religious sect whose actually breaking into the corporate world."

"Ugh, that cult! Poor Yuna."

"Yeah, as his favorite hostess she has to put up with him all night." Riku took a look around searching for someone. A cute little blonde waitress waved him over with a sweet innocent smile. She opened a door waving at him excitedly. "Come on, Ax. Our fun is over here."

"She looks a little young to be workin at a pleasure house?"

"Heh, that's Penelo and trust me she's more legal than you are."

Riku winked at her as he walked into the room which caused her to blush and giggle. "Evening Riku, Sora's in one of his mood's tonight so be careful!"

She then looked at Axel and smiled at him. She placed a gentle hand on his chest. "Hold it, sir. If you're new you gotta have a chaperone!"

"He's with me, Pen," Riku called back. "He's got a Chanterelle kiss on his hand."

She gasped and grabbed Axel's wrist quickly. "Oh my! So he's still a virgin to the poison! Come right on in then and welcome to our Butterfly Room! Don't worry, we'll be real careful with you!"

Axel smirked at her and toyed with a strand of her blonde hair. "Oh please don't be too careful with me. I don't mind being manhandled and I think you know I'm no virgin."

Penelo blushed and showed him in. "Trust, if you've never tasted the poison, you're still a virgin to the world."

She led them into the beautiful furnished room with a bounce in her step. This room was dimly lit and there were others there lounging comfortably in their chairs. It ad its own small stage that was hidden by a curtain of black velvet with sparkling stars sewn on it. Riku got them a comfortable leather divan close to the stage where he sat down as if he had done this a hundred times. If Axel knew his friend like he thought he did, Riku probably had this whole place wrapped around his finger. He was proved right when one the pink clad waitresses brought a bottle of Syrah on ice for them without prompting. Riku poured it for them waving away the waitress.

"So how are you liking what you're seein so far, Ax?"

"Man, I didn't even think places like this existed! But I'm a little disappointed that we haven't gotten to the part where I'm supposed to, uh, what was it…'unwound'?"

"This was your dad's idea! Trust me I wouldn't have brought you because I know these type of places aren't your thing anyway. You're too wild. He twisted my arm-"

"And your wallet!"

"-to get you to come out here tonight. I swear, Axel, if you get me kicked out I'll kill you myself. I pay too much money here to lose my membership now."

"What's the big deal?" Axel said rolling his eyes and leaning back on one of the pillows. "It's just a fancy whore house."

"Ladies and gentlemen," an announcer suddenly came through on the speakers. "We give you the pride of Madam Valkyrie's butterfly collection, the White Imperials."

The room became quiet and the lights became low. All eyes went to the stage where two hostesses held the curtain with coy smiles on their faces. A soft music began to play and the audience began to cheer and whistle. A sitar like sound came from the speakers as the girls pulled back the curtains. Axel's eyes widened when he saw two white and black clad bodies on the stage. Two beautiful creatures, one on top of the other lay in a very erotic pose. One was a cinnamon haired, blue eyes beauty who lay beneath his partner with his arms outstretched above his thrown back head. His clothes hung off his body and were black with white trailing over certain parts of his sleeves and legs. A black collar was around his neck, thin and plain but sexy just the same. He caught a glimpse of a butterfly tattoo on one of those smooth shoulder blades with the boy arched a bit. Those deep blues were half lidded and clouded like he had been given the sweetest drug but they showed awareness like no other for the crowd he was surrounded by. The other was of the most sun-kissed blonde and fairest skin. His face could not be seen as it was buried in the brunette's neck. His white clothes seemed to over shadow the darkness of the one beneath him as his hand came slowly up to run through the cinnamon spikes.

"You wanted to know what the big deal was, Axel? Well, that would be it." Riku said smirking at Axel's sudden silence. "That is Sora and Roxas, the White Imperials.

The brunette's body arched to the rolling sitar and he stretched almost catlike below him. The blonde lifted his head slowly finally showing crystalline blue eyes that made Axel's heart stop dead. They scanned room in an almost calculating gaze and then those eyes fell on him and a faint smile came to those perfect pink lips. That blonde head dipped down close to the brunette's ear. Axel was sure that he had said something to him. The brunette slowly slide from beneath the blonde with a sultry smile on his face as the vocalist began to sing.

_One pill makes you larger_

_And one pill makes you small_

_And the ones that mother give you_

_Don't do anything at all_

The blond lifted himself off of his partner and sat on his knees tilting his head back while the brunette turned on his stomach and came tantalizingly slow to his feet. The brunette walked in a slow sway around the blonde trailing coy fingertips along his exposed throat and slid his hand down his shirt while nuzzling an unmarked throat. The blonde's head rolled to one side offering his neck to his partner with half closed eyes.

_Go ask Alice when she's ten feet tall…_

But the brunette turned him around and shoved him away leaving him to writhe on the floor, abandoned. He turned his eyes to the crowd as they whistled at him and made vulgar suggestions. It was obvious that this one knew what he wanted no matter what the audience was cheering for. He sauntered past his abandoned partner giving him a haughty look that clearly said "not enough." He slid off the stage then letting his loose tunic fall further off his shoulder. Those baby blues were hunting for something.

_If you go chasing rabbits_

_And you know you're going to fall_

_Tell them a hookah smoking caterpillar_

_Has given you the call_

Blonde still on stage writhed and sat up in an unabashed manner showing that his partner's rejection meant nothing to him. While on his knees he rolled his hips pulling eyes to him while his brother slipped in and out of the audience's tables toying with their senses. His eyes shifted over to Axel giving an especially exaggerated roll of his hips. He snaked his body over the stage on his hands and knees. He looked to his partner, blue on blue. The brunette gave a subtle nod.

_And call Alice when she was just small_

The brunette was suddenly near Axel and Riku. Axel glanced at Riku as he saw the hungry look in those cerulean eyes. He didn't blame him, the little brunette was beautiful and that hunting glint in his eyes did nothing to sooth the burn of his gaze. He watched the butterfly lower himself submissively to floor earning silence from the crowd. He looked around searching before his eyes settled on Riku alone and without hesitation, he began to crawl slowly across the floor.

_When the men on the chest board _

_Get up and tell you where to go_

_And you just had some kind of mushroom_

_And your mind is moving low_

Axel's distraction cause him to not notice when the stoic blonde slid off the stage and began a determined walk of grace toward them. He was too busy watching how the brunette's hands moved up Riku's legs and rested on his knees as he gave the most innocent look any creature could give. Riku's breath hitched and he nearly dropped his glass of wine.

_Go ask Alice! I think she'll know!_

He did drop it however when the butterfly forced himself between the silver haired teen's legs. A lightening fast hand caught the crystal glass before Axel could even think it was broken. The brunette looked down at it with a sweet smile he sipped the slowly letting his tongue trace the rim. Riku could take no more and he grabbed the wrist that held the glass pulling the brunette closer. He dug his fingers into those wild cinnamon spikes and forced a bruising kiss on Syrah covered lips. Axel was awed to say the least. So that's what he meant by having one of the White Imperials.

_When Logic and Proportion_

_Have fallen sloppy dead_

Suddenly Axel felt a shadow looming over him. He looked up at the blonde butterfly who had just been on stage when he last looked. The blonde had somehow gotten a hold of Axel's glass without his knowledge and now stood with it pressed against his lips. After drinking a sufficient amount, he tossed the glass away not caring that it shattered.

_And the White Knight is talking backwards_

_And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"_

The blonde climbed into his lap pushing him back against the divan's pillows. He straddled the redhead showing through smoldering eyes that he had made his choice for the night.

_Remember _

_What the dormouse said!_

He took the hand that had been marked by Yuna's stamp and looked at it with a smirk forming on his face.

_Feed your head!_

As he leaned down to kiss the marking his lips parted just so, Axel noticed something very disturbing but erotic at the same time. His suspicions were confirmed when had to hold back uncharacteristic shudder from the feel of two sharp teeth brushing against his hand. The kid's teeth were filed. Little wanna-be vampire. Hell, Axel could work with that.

_Feed your head!_

He lifted his head staring into Axel's eyes, pinning him there with an impenetrable gaze. Axel tilted his head wanting nothing more than to kiss and suck the life out of those pale rose lips. The blonde laughed as the music faded and pulled himself away from Axel much to the redhead's disappointment and irritation. He knew when he was being played with and he didn't like it. He saw Sora put his finger to Riku's lips and pull away with a promise in his smile. The crowd was upset to say the least with all those rejected noises echoing in the air. All were upset because they were not chosen by the White Imperials. The blonde butterfly looked back at Axel over his shoulder with one hell of a wicked smile.

"Lucky Night, red," he said softly. "You've just been poisoned."

With those words, Axel found his role in our story as the flame that drew the moth from the wilds. Or was it that he had been the moth drawn from safety into the fire that he would learn was called Roxas.

A/N: I wasn't really sure how this chapter was going to come out and by the time I actually thought about it was done. It's a little rough and I'm hoping to get better with this as I go. Don't worry, this isn't a story of mindless sex just because of the pleasure house them. I hope Axel and Roxas's meeting wasn't too bad. Thank you for reading. And thank you for all the reviews I've gotten so far. I didn't expect to get them so quickly! Oh and if you can find Jefferson Airplanes "White Rabbit" you should listen to it. I felt it was perfect since Axel has just fallen right down the rabbit hole right throuh here.


	3. Episode One: Part Two

A/N: Okay totally got into full contact with lolli and she overhauled this chapter for me so there shouldn't be any mistakes and if there are…dude you're just looking to closely and not enjoying the story.

THANKS SO MUCH LOLLI! That's my new name for you.

Anyway so I got on the track of making the third chapter today so be grateful I haven't lost the edge. If there's anything you guys would like to see in the story as far is inspired scene or odd pairing let me know. So like enjoy the sex or, well, something close to sex without actually making it there.

--

The House of Chanterelle

Episode One – Part Two

"**Everything You Need"**

Axel wasn't sure when he had gotten from the VIP room to being led down one of the many hallways by a hostess. Apparently all of the pink clad staff was called Monarchs. Whatever. The White Imperials had left him and Riku to be tended to by the monarchs and disappeared behind the stage. He was, to say the least, disappointed to not have had more time with the blonde a little longer. What had been his name? Roxas? Yeah, that was it, Roxas. Roxas had gone away with that Sora kid and left him and Riku very dissatisfied. After that, two waitresses came along and asked them to follow them. So here was Axel walking along after being separated from Riku. The hostess led him down one of the numerous halls and into a single room set away from the rest. She slid open the doors, revealing an elegantly decorated room of black. A large, circular bed covered in dark sheets lay in the center of the room with a curtain that pulled all the way around for cover. A set of Queen Anne chairs sat at a cherry wood table of similar style and a dresser was against the wall behind them. A cracked door showed glimpses of what he assumed was the bathroom. It was decorated with such classic finery that if he hadn't already seen Roxas, he would've assumed that an overpriced courtesan lived here. The hostess led him inside by the arm, to one of the chairs before opening a black cherry wood cabinet that held a collection of glasses, wines and spirits within it. Axel's brow arched at that.

"Kid loves his alcohol," he commented.

"Oh no, the alcohol is for you. The tongue tends to loosen with the help of good Port. A butterfly's specialty is giving the customers what they need rather than what they want. Sometimes it's a little tougher for some to let their guard down long enough to receive that kind of care but Roxas has never failed before. In fact, he excels at it."

"Oh so Roxie likes to take 'care' of his people, huh?"

The hostess looked him over and a smile came to her lips. "I believe I should put you up for the night. You may take Roxas a while."

"Oh by all means work on me," Axel said leaning back in his chair. By all standards he was bored. He hoped this little pleasure house kitten was worth all this extravagance he was subjecting himself to.

"Mr. Axel, since you will be staying for the night, I will make a note at the front desk that you do not need to pay in the morning. If there is anything you need between now and then don't hesitate to ask your butterfly for assistance. He is here for you and only you. Please refrain from leaving the room once the red lights go up."

"…Okay…"

With that she bowed respectfully and left Axel alone in the room. He helped himself to something strong while he waited, wondering what all of this was about anyway. Meeting the blonde had been somewhat cliché for a fancy pleasure house. Had Riku set this up or maybe this was all Yuna's fault? She and her dumb little stamp had gotten him into this place and apparently had gotten him one of the most sought after butterflies in the joint. What the heck was up with the butterfly references? And just how was this supposed to help him out of his project slump? This place was awesome, he'd give it that, but everything was almost too refined for his tastes. Hmm, what did that say about him? Did that make him a trashy rich guy or something? So if he was the trashy rich guy, then Riku was the trashy rich friend who knew their trashy secretary friend worked at a trashy refined pleasure house with the trashy butterflies and their trashy dances…okay he was drunk. And if he wasn't, he was definitely buzzing. That's the only way he would use the word trashy that many times. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the object of his buzzing desire outside the door.

"Remember Sora, be careful. I know how you get around Riku. Don't get carried away tonight or you might actually kill him this time. You know Mom hates it when you kill them."

"I know, I know!" he heard the one called Sora, say. "Riku'll be fine. You know I wouldn't dare kill him. You just be careful with that Axel guy. I remember Riku telling me about him before he came here. He's wild and your type! He may not be good like you want him to be."

Axel's brow arched. They _did_ know he could hear them, right?

"I can take care of myself better than you can, Sor. Now go have fun! I'll be turning on my red light in an hour or so. That means don't come bother me with your girly kiss and tell thing!"

"Please, like I'd bother you when I have Riku on a silver platter waiting for me. Evil blondes! You won't even kiss me goodnight!"

"You're so…dare I say, gay? Go to bed! I'll kiss you goodnight another time." Roxas finally slid open his door and walked in. he locked the door behind him and looked at Axel. He smirked at the drink in the redhead's hands. "I see you took full use of the mini-bar."

"You had such an extensive collection that I just couldn't ignore," Axel said disdainfully. "So who's that kid to you? You're boyfriend or something?"

Roxas laughed. "Why? Jealous?"

"I just met you kid."

"Never stopped most of my customers," he said walking over to Axel. "I might as well see what I'm deal-"

When he had gotten close enough, Axel yanked him into his lap ad kissed him hard enough to bruise his lips. He had been waiting to take what he had wanted earlier but was too stunned to get it until now. It took only a second to realize that the boy wasn't even responding to his kiss. It put him on a road to being ticked off when the kid actually pushed him away. He wasn't forceful about it which kept Axel from getting too mad about it, but being rejected wasn't exactly on his rainbows and sunshine list. Roxas licked his lips tasting the whiskey Axel had dug into while he was away.

"Mm, this is not what you need tonight," He said after a moment. "What you need is a bath and a goodnights sleep."

"What? You mean after the show you put on for me all I'm getting is a bath and sleep?! I could've done that at home!"

Roxas gave a mysterious smile and walked toward the bathroom shedding clothing as he went. "If you didn't need it here then you wouldn't be here at all. Now come on, red. Come and take a bath with me."

Axel licked his lips at the sudden show of skin. There was nothing shy about this kid and he couldn't say he didn't like it. "That bath sounds better already. Though I think you owe me more than a stupid bath."

Axel put his drink down and followed the blond into his bathroom…

--

Sora lay on the white sheets of his four posted bed, under the cover of the canopy. Riku trailed quick hot kisses over his skin while peeling troublesome clothes away from his body. He admitted that he was half starved and hungry for his silver-haired lover but he fought tooth and nail against the blood lust. Not yet, he told himself as Riku's teeth roughly grazed his pulse. Too much, too fast. Riku wasn't giving him room to think, and if he couldn't think, he couldn't concentrate. And if he couldn't concentrate, then he couldn't hold back his need to feed. He tried to slow him down but couldn't do so physically.

"Slow down, Riku!" Sora panted as Riku attacked his neck. "It's too much, I can't think straight."

"No, not tonight. It's been too long since I came to see you and I need this," he whispered against Sora's skin. "I need to have you right here, right now with no interruptions. Let me have that and when that red light comes on, I don't care what you do to me. You can slay me tonight if you wish it."

Sora gasped at the thought and he felt his fangs itching to bite his silver haired lover. "Don't tempt me that way, Riku. You have too much waiting for you out there. I could never do that to you."

Riku pulled away and brushed his thumb over Sora's bruised lips feeling out the fangs that had made themselves present. "Don't be scared to take what you want from me, Sora. You don't need that red light to hide what you are to me. I don't mind feeding your addiction so you can take as much as you need."

Sora's deep azure eyes turned to pale cerulean. He breathed in deep and sat up to kiss Riku deeply, nipping a cut in his bottom lip. He sucked on it gently giving himself only a taste of his lover's blood. He pulled away and closed his eyes trying to stay his hunger. He opened his eyes - they were azure and lust clouded. Brushing Riku's cheek, the brunette kissed him earnestly and lovingly this time. In a breathless voice, he whispered against Riku's lips.

"That's enough for now. I won't let my addiction get in the way of what you need, Riku."

Riku smiled gently and pushed his love back on to the bed. "Nothing would get in the way of my needing you, Sora. Not even the world outside of the House."

"Riku, we both know you can't give up your world for me."

Riku laid his forehead against Sora's. "It's not enough. This isn't enough, especially for you."

"It's enough when I say so," Sora whispered softly.

"But it'll never be enough for me."

"It will be because I've never refused you anything Riku. Now come on, relax and be with me tonight."

This time, Sora lay back and allowed Riku's needs to over-shadow his own. The silver-haired man kissed his way from Sora's mouth to his neck to his collar bone. There was no slow tonight. It had been ten months since they had come together like this and Riku promised with each kiss that never again would there be so much time between them. Sora wanted to believe that, but he knew what he was. He knew what he was for and he was painfully reminded of it every time he felt the ring on Riku's left hand. He inwardly sighed. Always forever and always never.

--

"I retract my previous statement. I'll admit it's been a while since I relaxed like this."

Axel stretched a bit in the boiling hot water and reveled in the steamy scent of candles and petals that floated in the water. In his tipsy state, it had taken little to get him in the water as Roxas suggested. Hell, it only took a peck on the lips. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Axel knew he had to stop drinking so much when he was out. Roxas slid in behind him, hissing a little at the heat but adjusted to it soon after. He watched the redhead as the man relaxed in the scented water. He felt his canines sharpen under his tongue as he raked his eyes over that flawless cinnamon tinted skin. The only thing that restrained him was that he could see that this Axel was in need of intense care before he could even think of sinking his teeth into him. He wouldn't even survive the initial bite and the blood would taste horrible in his current condition. That was fine. During his stay in the House of Chanterelle he had learned absolute patience.

He moved closer to Axel and sat down behind him in the pool-like bath. He reached out and guided his hands up the redhead's sides. "You're so…"

"What?" Axel laughed. "Skinny?'

"No," Roxas said tracing the outline of his waist. "Well, yeah you're pretty damn skinny, but you seem…starved."

"Starved? Kid, I eat my body weight in food at least three times a day."

Roxas shook his head and brought his hands up to Axel's back. "Not what I meant. Ah, here's the problem."

"You know, you don't act like a whore. I mean aren't you supposed to come on to me like a drunk prom date?"

"I'm not the one full of alcohol." Roxas laughed. "I'm not a prostitute or a courtesan or whore or anything of the like. I don't lie to people and I don't give people what they want."

Axel snorted. "You live in a pleasure house, but you don't fuck your customers?"

Roxas began to knead the knots he had found in that supposedly flawless back. "I didn't say that. I said I give people what they _need_. It's usually a far cry from what they want. If they need sex, then I'll give it to them."

Axel hissed when he felt nimble fingers press down a particularly sore spot near his spine. "Hey, kid what are you doing back there? You're killin' my buzz!"

"It's called a massage, you jerk," Roxas said blandly. "You need it. Plus, staying drunk is a bad habit anyway. Apparently all that wildness is making you old fast."

"Old, huh? I guess I would be old compared to some kid who's no older than fifteen or sixteen."

"Heh, you don't want to know my age, red."

"Stop callin' me that-ow!" Axel flinched away from Roxas's hands as a current of pain hit his spine. He tried to stay away, but the blonde pulled him back. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's called a tension knot, genius. You're a virgin to back massage; it's supposed to hurt the first time," Roxas teased. "Just be still and it'll feel better after a while."

"I think you're a sadist," Axel muttered.

The shots of pain from the knot in his back turned into a pleasant ache and then to hardly nothing at all. The kid hadn't lied; his back was starting to feel looser and more pliable. Every now and then those nimble fingers hit the right spot and would draw a quiet moan from the redhead. Spots that started out painful turned into erogenous areas beneath the blonde's fingertips. Roxas smiled a little as Axel began to relax against him and he could feel the blood racing at a steady pace just beneath his skin. He turned to face Roxas looking a lot calmer than he had earlier.

"Hey, how old are you anyway? Is it even legal for you to be doing this kind of stuff?"

Roxas laughed then and closed the distance between them. He pressed himself against Axel's water drenched body and put his lips to the redhead's ear.

"Would my age stop you from touching me?"

Roxas heard his heartbeat quicken in their close proximity and he watched with a smirk as a pink tongue passed over suddenly dry lips. Axel looked over his shoulder and was lost in those eyes. He barely noticed those small hands passing over his jaw and into his hair, fingertips massaging his scalp. Axel's eyes fell to half mast and he turned so he could place his hands on the blonde's petite waist.

"I highly doubt it, but what do I get if I don't ask again?"

Roxas chuckled and pressed his mouth to Axel's in a teasing kiss. Unfortunately, Axel was just like Sora said,; wild. He pulled the blond down so that he was completely straddling his lap and Roxas fought hard to hold back his shudder as their skin touched. In the time it took to control the thickening of his fangs, Axel had invaded his mouth with a very skilled tongue. Once the redhead got a taste of the inside, he couldn't stop. The kid didn't really taste like anything. No exotic foods or drink, he simply tasted like younger lovers often did; sweet and innocent. How could someone who lived in a pleasure house taste this way and how could it be so addicting? Roxas trembled hard as that tongue brushed over his gums and teeth. There was no stopping his eyeteeth from lengthening against the invading muscle. Axel pulled back when he felt his tongue scrape against those suddenly sharp teeth. He looked at Roxas who was breathing hard through his nose and had his eyes shut.

"What's with those teeth of yours? You got a blood fetish?"

Roxas had to stop the tremble in his spine when had gotten that light taste of blood from Axel's too curious tongue. Just the tiny taste had set fire to his insides and told him that patience wasn't always the virtue to have. He breathed in deep to calm himself and he looked down at Axel with almost intoxicated blue eyes. "Would it bother you if I did?"

"Never a straight answer," Axel chuckled leaning in to kiss him again. "No, I'm not bothered at all. In fact, I might get to like seeing that little mouth of yours red with blood."

Roxas placed a trembling hand between them and shook his head. This man was playing on his carefully constructed self control. "Let's just say I have a little something similar to Renfield's Syndrome."

Axel arched his eyebrow. "I'll pretend like I know what that is. So why are you refusing me when you know you're just as turned on as I am. Not like I can't _feel _it."

Roxas bit back a moan when Axel made his point by groping him beneath the water. One taste of blood and his body was already betraying him. He gently removed Axel's hand from his person and brought those wet fingers to his lips nibbling them slightly to soothe the ache in his gums. "I told you, this isn't what you need tonight."

"I don't see how!" Axel said with an almost pout.

Roxas just hummed and shifted behind him again. He understood now. Axel didn't know the pleasure of simple company. He was far too used to lovers throwing themselves at him and his money, but the redhead didn't realize that he needed a certain stability. Roxas decided that tonight he would make him kick his addiction to one night flings, only because contentment and real desire made the blood that much sweeter.

--

Sora got up slowly from bed, careful not to rouse Riku. He couldn't even remember how long they had been at it but it was heavenly in itself. As much as he wanted to lounge, he had to put out his red light so that _they_ would stay away from his room. He pulled his kimono robe closer to his body and snuck a peek outside his door to insure it was time. Red lights lined his hall and all was dark and quiet save for the usual sounds of butterflies and their chosen. Sora closed his doors and struck a match to his red lamp, hanging it on the hook. He sighed and sat on the side of Riku, smiling slightly as he traced his lover's shoulder. He stopped at the beautiful black and aqua green butterfly tattooed to his back. He went over the wings and traced the antennae with light brushes.

"A Paris Peacock did more justice to you than any other butterfly I've ever picked. As long as you have my mark, you'll always be mine."

He leaned over and rested his head against Riku's shoulder, pressing his lips to it gently. The smell of that blood running under that pale skin was driving him crazy but he had held back during their love making. Now, his lover was sated for now and he was free to do as he pleased under the red light's glow. He ran his fingers through the silver silk of Riku's hair and he pushed it aside showing that beautiful white throat. Ten months had been way too long for the brunette. He parted his lips and pressed an open mouth kiss to Riku's throat before sinking his needle sharp fangs into that unmarred skin. Riku's lips parted in a breathy moan and Sora's teeth dug into his skin. The brunette clenched the sheet beside Riku's head when the first drop touched his tongue and that tantalizingly sweet blood made his eyes roll. His senses peaked and he had to claw the bed itself to keep from loosing his carefully built control. Riku moved his head further to the side so that Sora could have better access, moaning louder at the feeling. Sora pulled himself onto the small of Riku's back as he continued to draw the sweet nectar from his body. He placed his hands onto Riku's and intertwined their fingers, blissfully ignoring the sounds of the people passing by his red lit door.

--

Roxas was lighting a large red lamp and placing it near his door. It was marked with some sort of strange symbol that reminded him of a spiked cross. A deep red light flooded the room as Roxas blew out the match and all the other lights went out. Axel heard a female announcer come in on a speaker but he was too out of it to even understand her. He rested comfortably in Roxas bed, unsure of when they had gotten out of the bath. He was feeling so drugged now, lethargic, almost like he inhabited someone else's body and he didn't have complete control over it. His body felt so relaxed and so unlike his own but at the same time, he'd never been more aware or awake. That didn't make sense in his mind but that didn't stop him from feeling it. He's senses were on some sort of natural high where he could see and smell and feel _everything. _He could feel every tingle of the silk sheets against his oversensitive skin. He could smell the vanilla scented candle that had been used to put Roxas's red light up. Even in the dim red light he could see a bead of water, from Roxas's wet hair, roll down the blonde's neck and down his back into his robe. He tried to sit up, but his muscles wouldn't allow it. They were too happy with the nice tingling state they were in.

Roxas left the lamp to swing slightly in front of his door and he turned to Axel, who watched him through half lidded eyes. He was glad he had finally gotten the redhead to stop trying to molest him in the bath though it had been very, very hard. The man was incorrigible and he believed the alcohol made it worse. But, stubborn lovers always made the best ones in his opinion. He walked slowly to the bed considering that Axel must've been feeling completely hazed right now and didn't need to make him alarmed by showing his true colors. He watched Axel's wild green eyes with a small smirk on his face. Never breaking eye contact, he sat on the bed, leaning over him and kissing him with in earnest now. Axel was clean, relaxed, and ready and so was Roxas. Those lips held no more aggressiveness though they still tried to compete with him. Damn stubborn. Too bad they wouldn't win against Roxas. He pulled away, showing baby blues that had brightened to pale crystalline orbs in the darkness. He allowed his fangs to show full fledged and sparkling white.

Axel chuckled weakly. "Gonna bite me now, Mr. Renfield's?"

Roxas' gave an almost cruel smile. He captured the redhead's lips once more before straddling him and allowing his robe to slip from his shoulders. Axel's hands slid up his legs and firmly grasped his hips. Roxas was amazed that the redhead still had that much coordination. He pressed the full length of his body against Axel's shuddering at how wonderful it felt to be pressed against a body again. He kissed from Axel's lips to his jaw line, stopping only to slow himself down when he both heard and saw the speeding pulse beneath that deeply tanned skin. He parted his lips to suck the pulse in almost loving way before putting his lips to Axel's ear.

"Am I going to bite you? Heh, from the moment I saw you, I knew that wasn't all I was going to do to you." Roxas ran his tongue back down to the racing pulse in that thin neck. "No, I'm not going to bite you, Axel. I'm going to _ruin_ you."

Before Axel could even respond, he cried in a cross between extraordinary pain and extraordinary pleasure. Roxas's fangs dug deep, releasing their poison into the redhead's system. The body beneath him arched against him and the blonde couldn't help but roll his hips in a slow motion as he drank. He would admit that it was still somewhat bitter, but Roxas could fix that with time. For now, it tasted well enough. It was very warm from his ministrations and flowed thickly down his throat like the freshly bottled wine. Axel was weakening, he could feel it. The hands that had had a firm grip on his hips were now sliding limply down his thighs. Roxas only indulged a bit more before pulling away and finding those green eyes closed in a quiet sleep. He cleaned up his mess and ran his fingers through all that red hair with a smile. Even with what he had done for Axel now, he was still starved. Axel was going to need time and devotion; something he was sure the redhead wasn't used to. Only then would the blood be as it was supposed to. He knew one thing was for sure, Axel would be no one else's when he was done with him. He caressed the sleeping redhead's cheek.

"If I have to, I'm going to take away everything you have and then give you everything need."

--

A/N: okay we had ALMOST sex but not quite. Thank you for reading all the way through and I hope the red lights have piqued your curiosity. Please review and keep me going!


	4. Episode Two

A/N: this is a look into the lives of the key players in Chanterelle and how they cope with the outside world. It's not very eventful but it does set the stage for a new pairing and the breaking down of each person's world. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.

Special thanks: Lolli you are my girl! You have made me a very happy person with your beta-ing! And of course thanks for ALL the reviews. Forty-Four reviews from just three chapters just make my world go round! It's awesome.

House of Chanterelle

Episode Two

"**Ordinary People"**

Waking up is considered to be a point in time when you open your eyes and return to reality. Therefore, when a person wakes they can still be somewhere else at that particular time. Sometimes we don't really wake up until we're out the door and heading off into our lives. This is the case with Axel. Axel, who had spent many a morning fighting off the throws of a hang over, found himself waking in an almost serene way. He wasn't startled out of sleep like most busy people are but rather he went through a transitional process of waking that left him lingering between the REM state and actual reality. The process didn't end until he was opening his eyes and was looking at the ceiling of his own home. The sun was warm on his face, which was strange because he never slept with the blinds open. He could only lay there seeing how his body was more than heavy today. His limbs felt so limp like there was nothing more than water beneath his skin. He blinked slowly a few times before his bearings came back to him. Memories of flower filled water and vanilla scented candles flowed gently along the currents of his mind. Intense blues eyes looking down on him with a strange adoration and a soft smile made him smirk and laugh at his stupidity. He put a hand over his face.

"Fuck, Roxas, what'd you do to me?"

Amazingly, he was able to sit up with a fluid ease that he hadn't had since he was in high school with Riku. Even though his body was heavy like a brick, it responded well to his need to move without so much as an ache in his spine. This was definitely different! His head felt clearer than it had ever been and when he looked around his modest penthouse…something was different. Fun fact, he couldn't smell that overpriced toilet water Larxene called perfume. He looked down at his now clean white sheets that smelled of fresh fabric softener. He touched them for minute trying to think of when they had been changed. Oh right, he did that yesterday. That's right, today was Sunday and yesterday he had taken the time to get rid of the sheets. He peeked beneath the fitted sheets. Apparently he got rid of the mattress too. He couldn't quite recall the details of it but did remember doing it. He got out of bed and stretched though it was unneeded with how loose his body was. A quick shower and a cup of coffee cleared the haze. He sat on his couch and flipped on the TV while in his mind he tried to piece together how he got from Chanterelle to his house and when he had decided to do the changes to his bed.

He remembered falling asleep with Roxas on top of him. That much was clear, but waking up the next morning was where everything got fuzzy. He had awakened with the blonde fast asleep at his side. That's right, the kid was cold. He was ice cold for a matter of fact. It was how Roxas was curled against him with that abnormal temperature that woke him. He had tried to wake him several times but all he got were soft groans and the kid had turned away from him. From there, what did he do? He couldn't remember getting dressed or anything but he did remember walking out of the House with a very groggy Riku. He had been dropped home then. What else, though? Oh yeah, he called to check in with his father and changed the sheets. So that was yesterday meaning that it was Sunday? So that meant that he had gone through the entire weekend in a pleasant daze and hadn't even realized it. What the_ hell_? Sighing he flipped the channels. He, of all people, had no control over his body for the past few days. That just wasn't him at all!

His phone vibrated on the coffee table catching his attention. Flipping it open, he pressed it to his ear. "Yo!"

_"You're late."_

"Well if it isn't of my favorite gray haired psycho, how's it going Zexion?"

_"I'm putting up with your father's tantrums about where you were yesterday and where you are now. Why aren't you here? You had a meeting to get to this morning!"_

"Oh Zexy please forgive my having a life! I just hate that it interferes with me catering to you all the time, especially when all I want to do is just throw you over my desk and-"

"_You're on speaker phone, Axel." _

"Oh you bastard," Axel cursed. "Hi dad! What's up, old man."

He could hear his father, Lae, ranting through the receiver. _"Axel Flammel where the hell have you been?! Do you realize you were supposed to be here an hour ago! Instead you're lazing around at home and harassing my assistant! I should fire you, you ungrateful little-"_

"Nothing would make me happier but I like my comfy cozy life, so how about you give me about thirty minutes tops to get myself together and I'll show up to play happy president in a jiffy."

"_-and Riku isn't here either! Riku's father is going to shoot me if he realizes I lost track of his son-"_

"_He stopped listening a while ago, Axel. Just get here so I can go about my life in peace."_

"Only an uptown bus could stop me from getting you to you, Zexy!"

"_I'll pray for the bus's victory. Goodbye."_

"Hey wait, do I have to get Riku too? I mean, he should be home with what's her name."

"_I'm sure he would be at home with Freya. She IS his wife."_

"She's so bitchy though!"

_"Just do what you need to do and get over here before my contemplation of murder gets out of hand."_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Bye Zexy"

_"Goodbye."_

Axel flipped is phone shut and sighed. Who the hell had meetings on Sunday anyway? "Well there goes that day. Stupid work!"

Arranged marriages are the bane of Love. It forcibly pushes two people together and allows fate to decide whether or not it's good for them. It's mostly like a business agreement decided by a third party rather than the man and the woman who are involved. Then suddenly they are thrust into a situation that lacks emotion and stability but are forced to continue their roles in order to keep up with demand. Bittersweet kisses that have no more feeling behind them than two blocks of wood being pushed together become the daily routine of affection. It is easy to deal with in the beginning because you realize you have no real connection or obligation to said spouse, but then suddenly, things get complicated. A father demands an heir, a mother wants to see grandchildren, and said spouse wants something concrete to hold the marriage together. Thus, the child comes into play. The child is what causes unspeakable emotions, especially under the circumstances in which Riku Crescent found out that he would have a child. He hadn't been prepared in the least when Freya Asgard, his trophy wife of three years and bane of existence for nearly ten, claimed to be pregnant. He remembered exactly how it happened and was reminded of it every day that he was away from the one who really wanted him as he was.

_Riku pulled his button-up dress shirt on quickly when he heard Freya come in to the bedroom. He adjusted it on his shoulder so as to hide the Chanterelle brand. The blond woman came into the room tossing her keys on the table and sitting on the bed. She stared at Riku with cold eyes._

_"Going out again, dear?" she said with a mocking tone._

_"As always. Why, did you want something Freya?" he asked halfway ignoring her. He didn't really care what she wanted at the moment. His mind was only on seeing Sora again and feeling those small arms around him again._

_"Oh I just wanted to share the good news with you before you went gallivanting with whatever whore you've been seeing for the past year."_

_Riku rolled his eyes and decided to give her some attention. The quicker he got this over with, the quicker he could leave. "And what's the news? They opened another jewelry store? You found another summerhouse you want me to pay for? What?"_

_She smirked, her English accent thick today. "Oh it's much more expensive than that, Riku. I think you'll be just as happy as I am."_

_Something set off an alarm in Riku's head when he saw her hand slip to her stomach. "And that is?"_

_She looked up at him with cold blue eyes and smiled. "I'm pregnant."_

_Riku felt his heart stop _and_ as all hope of making it happily through and out of this marriage, shattered. "You're what?"_

_"I'm going to have a child, Riku. __**Your**__ child and I decided to keep it."_

_He felt his fingers curl in to fists and his nails bite into his skin. "You can't be pregnant! You were on the shot! I was there every time you took them!"_

_She crossed her legs smugly. "There's an advantage to having a father who owns the hospital you go to. He wanted to have grandchildren and I know your father has been pushing for you to have a child as well. So, all those shots were nothing but harmless nutrient solutions. I haven't been on birth control since we got married." She leaned back a little watching her husband squirm. "I have to admit, it was hard getting pregnant since half the time you refused to touch me anyway but even you slip up sometimes. You are just a man after all."_

_Riku felt nauseous and shook his head. "You can't do this, Freya! Get rid of it! We agreed to have no children, get rid of it!"_

_She put her hands to her stomach and gave a fake appalled look. "I'm shocked that you would want to kill something that we both created. How dare you want to end your child's life before it's even born?"_

_"Freya I'm begging you, get an abortion and get rid of it. I don't want this and the only reason that you want it is because it just means more money for you! There is now way a child would be happy with us."_

_"No," she said firmly. "This is the only way I know how to live and you were planning on ending it. I've gotten too comfortable to go back to having second-rate clout! I'm going to have this baby and you are going to help me take care of it! Now go! You'll be late for Cora, Dora, or whatever the hell that name is you call out in your sleep!"_

That was the last time he had seen Sora during Freya's pregnancy. She had threatened to expose Chanterelle to the media if he didn't stop going. Of course, she didn't really know the details of Chanterelle, but Madame Valkyrie would not be pleased about having her place all over TV and Sora would suffer for it. So would he if it got out that he was Freya's husband and then he'd get a visit from the Burmese Jezebels. God forbid that the world knew what _really _went on under the red lights there. He went to the House of Chanterelle that night and told Sora that they would not be able to see each other for a while. It had broken his heart to see that, even though Sora loved him, the brunette understood and didn't make any fuss about it. He had to wonder how many times people had abandoned Sora for him to have taken it so well. The months flew by and he was forced to spend every waking moment with Freya. His depression and longing for Sora's embrace swelled everyday that Freya's womb did.

Then, almost a month ago now, Alicia was born. Blonde haired and blue eyed like her mother, but pale and beautiful like her father. When Riku held her for the first time, he realized that she wasn't the reason he was angry and he swore that he would never raise a hand to her. She was small, frail even and it made Riku nervous to let her go to Freya. Now that she had proven to be a strong healthy girl, Riku felt safe enough to return to Sora that Friday night. He had never been happier.

Now here he lay, dozing in the morning light with little Alicia laying on his chest sound asleep. Freya had left early that morning to go shopping leaving him with the responsibility of taking care of her. He didn't mind at all. Alicia only cried when Freya held her anyway. He smiled as he rubbed the infant's back, happy that at least one person in that house loved him. He was content to doze off once again when the doorbell rung and set off a screaming Alicia. Riku cursed under his breath and picked her up. He tried to soothe her as he went to the door, but each time the bell rung her screams got louder. He shifted her to one arm and swung open the door with an agitated expression. It turned it into a scowl when he saw who had been blowing up his doorbell.

"Yo! What's up, you silver haired psycho?!" Axel asked cheerfully.

"I hate you so much right now!" Riku grumbled, rocking Alicia.

Axel blinked at the crying Alicia and took her from Riku's arms. "Hey firefly!" he cooed. "Is that how you're going to act with Uncle Axel?"

To Riku's amazement and annoyance Alicia quieted remained still in Axel arms. "You have got to be kidding me."

"It's true; no woman, no matter how tiny, can resist the pyro! Can you firefly?" Axel said smugly.

"Stop hitting on my daughter. What do you want, you asshole?" Riku let Axel come in and closed the door behind him.

"Oh look firefly, the silver psycho is a douche even in its natural habitat," Axel said playing with Alicia. "I came cause the old man is losing his mind. He said we missed some kinda meeting or something."

"Who schedules a meeting Sunday?"

"I know, right?! Anyway, Zex has his hands full trying to appease the bastard and we have to go up there cause of something or other."

Riku stared at Axel as he blew on Alicia's stomach. "Your information gathering skills are amazing, Axel."

"Alicia, say daddy is a douche. Say it with me now!"

"Idiot, I can't go. Freya's not here to look after Alicia."

"Pft! Thank god!" Axel scoffed. "The kid would probably drown in the bathtub if we trusted Freya with everything. As firefly's godfather, I forbid you to leave her alone with the Bitch of Eastwick."

Riku was already preparing a baby bag. "When did you become her godfather?"

"Just now."

"We'll take her with us to the office but I swear if your dad looks at her funny one more time, I'll make sure Crescent industries rips up that contract."

"Oh come on, Riku. You know the old man loves Alicia! He just hates that she looks like Freya."

"And that would be a good reason for him to leave her alone." Riku said putting a stuffed animal in the bag.

Axel stopped listening. "When you start talking, I'm gonna teach you all kinds of fun words to call your mom. Like bitch, whore, skank-"

"Axel, stop that!"

"She can't understand me _yet_, Riku. Stop being paranoid!"

Riku sighed and rubbed his temples. "I'm gonna shower and then we'll leave."

Alicia began to cry again and Axel held her at a distance with his nose scrunched up "Whoa, nice shot kid!"

Riku smirked and tossed the diaper bag on the couch. "And you get to clean Alicia up."

"I take it back! You're not a douche, you're just a dirty fucker!" Axel called after him.

The ride to the office wasn't all that eventful. They had taken Axel's car since it was already baby proofed. Riku actually did appreciate Axel's love for little Alicia and was glad that someone was there for her. When he heard that Alicia had been born, he had made it his sole responsibility to give Alicia anything she would want and need. Those days when Freya started to disappear and Riku would be too busy, Axel always had space in his office for the kid to sleep. Now, Alicia lay quietly sleeping like an angel while Axel fought to get through traffic. Riku rested his head against the glass with a grim smile on his face. He felt himself spacing with the slow passing buildings.

"Yo, Riku?"

"Mm, what man?" Riku asked tiredly.

"About Friday," he said hesitantly.

Riku laughed. "Go ahead, ask away."

"Um…what the hell was that?!"

"Ha, that would be the afterglow. It lingers for a few days."

"Well you know more than I do about it. What was up with Roxas! He _is_ a whore, right? I mean, all we did was take a bath, talk and go to sleep like a…like a…"

"A stable couple?"

"Yes!"

"Well, all I know is that any butterfly you get with at Chanterelle won't give you a single thing that you want! They somehow always know what you need emotionally and they manage to give it to you. Then finally when you wake up from it you feel the best you've ever felt."

"That's exactly what I felt. But I keep thinking about him. That kid Roxas, he said I was going to take a while."

"Then it's obvious that he wanted you to come and see him again. I know Sora wanted me to come back the first night."

"Did you do him on the first night?" Axel asked curiously.

"I'm not telling you that!"

"No I'm serious! I want to know, it's not like I'll tell anybody!"

Riku leaned back against his seat and smiled a little. "Alright, but only because you're my best friend and I know that no matter what you'll still call me gay regardless"

"You _are_ gay, douche! Now get to it!"

"Well, when I got chosen the first time, he took me to his room and made me get comfortable. He gave me a drink and he just asked some random questions about my life. You know, normal stuff like what I did for living, what it like was for me, if I was married and stuff. When I said I was married he just kinda came over to me and gave me this really weird look. Then he just hugged me."

"He…hugged you?"

"Yeah, he hugged me and he just said, 'you're only human.' I don't remember what that meant to me but it was something heavy. We ended up falling asleep in each others arms and that was it."

Axel arched his eyebrow and laughed. "I told you that you had issues! Even that kid knew you were fucking nuts."

Riku flipped him off. "Right here, Axel!"

"So are you gonna go again?"

"Duh, better than staying at home. You gonna go back?"

"I dunno yet. I felt good but it was all too weird."

"Yeah, that's how it feels the first few times. Might was well go and get it out of your system."

At the office, when Riku and Axel arrived, Zexion found himself in quite a predicament. He had to choose between listening to Lae Flammel and taking care of a baby in his own office. Leave it to Axel and Riku to make his job harder than it already was. Oh well, a baby wasn't much different than dealing with Lae. He sat in his office working on Lae and Axel's schedule and handling all their accounts and basically running the company while the two argued about Axel's habits. Riku had to go and deal with Sephiroth on why the hell he was here on a Sunday. This left him to deal with Riku's end as well. This was just too much.

Zexion had always fancied himself intelligent. He had come from the best college and schools and was one of the most progressive people in the corporate world. He was also the youngest in the business. Zexion had bragging rights of being the youngest graduate to ever be chosen by a corporate CEO. He was only twenty-one when he graduated from a high class college and got his first break as a personal assistant to Lae. He had always skipped grade after grade because he was far more intelligent than his peers. Now he was twenty-three and was making more than any man his age dreamed to be making. Hell, his gross worth as an employee (should he ever be traded) was worth the amount of a small business. So what was Zexion's problem with his current life?

He looked down at Alicia who watched him with big eyes. He didn't know much in the way of parenting aside from what he had seen of his own father and mother. Still, Alicia drew a smile from him the way she cooed in her carrier and looked at her surroundings. He sighed and leaned back his chair.

"You're lucky, Alicia. You don't have to work so hard to get recognition in life. I bet there's never a moment someone isn't coddling you." He said blandly. "Your Uncle Axel is a twit, your father is pack mule of high expectations, and I'm just someone who's there to clean up the aftermath. I hope your first words are under appreciation."

He was starting to question his sanity considering he was talking to a new born. Zexion continued to plot out the month's events on the computer and prepared an agenda for their next meeting. He did entirely too much as an assistant. He paused only once when the door clicked open and Yuna walked in. Alicia began to cry when she closed the door behind her and Zexion rubbed his temples. Yuna gave him an apologetic look and she picked up Alicia.

"Hello buttercup," she cooed rocking the baby. "It's kinda sad that this entire office is doing a better job of caring for Alicia than Freya."

Zexion was thankful when Alicia stopped crying in the girl's arms. "Yes, well not all debutants are meant to be homemakers."

"Or any kind of maker if you ask me," Yuna said sadly.

"Forgive me for being rude, but I do have a lot of work to do. Could you please tell me what you needed?"

"Oh don't worry, I'm here for a reason. Since you and I are the only ones handy capable at the moment, we're on coffee detail for the bigwigs."

Zexion let his head fall on the desk. "They couldn't get their own coffee?"

Yuna held up a list in one hand while she held Alicia against her hip. "They said they didn't have time and that you would help me. I'm really sorry, Zexion."

He stared at the unfinished work on his computer before rising and getting his blazer. "No, this is what I live for; long days in the office and coffee runs."

Thunder struck past his window and a sudden downpour made itself known. Yuna grimaced as Alicia began to cry again. Zexion looked over his shoulder at the gray scenery and shut his eyes, trying to ease the tension in his head.

"At least my expectations are never high," he muttered.

Yuna placed Alicia in her carrier and picked it up. "You can never be disappointed that way, right?"

"Correct."

They took Yuna's car since it was on the first floor of the parking garage. Zexion's was on the top since he hardly left the office and it wasn't baby proofed. He always did wonder why Yuna had a spare car seat but he never really asked. That was her business. They drove to one of the many Starbucks, which was as always crowded. He offered to watch Alicia while Yuna waited in line for the coffee. That's how he ended up sitting at one of the empty tables trying to figure out why Alicia wouldn't stop crying. Aforementioned, Zexion didn't know anything about children or parenting at all. He couldn't figure out what she wanted. He tried holding her carefully and rocking her the way Yuna did. She only cried more and he tried to ignore the stares of people around him. How could this get any worse?

"May I?"

Zexion looked up to see a pretty girl with deep azure eyes and licorice colored hair bent over beside him. Her skin glowed beautifully in the fluorescent light of the shop and her gaze was warm and inviting. She smiled and held out her arms for the baby, still looking into Zexion's eyes. He wasn't sure where his logic went he gave this stranger Riku's child. Alicia cried as she rocked her for a moment. She looked down at the baby bag they had brought along with them and dug for one of the bottles.

"Ahah!" she whispered removing the cap from one of the bottles and placing it to Alicia's lips. "There you go, angel. You were starving weren't you?"

Zexion watched in amazement as Alicia suckled the bottle without a fuss in the girl's arms. She looked down at him with a cute knowing smile.

"I take it she's not yours?"

"No, she's my boss's kid. He got busy so I'm just watching her."

"Ah, well see, when they cry in that kinda tone they're usually hungry. You gotta be careful with her; it's painful for a baby to be hungry."

Zexion nodded absently. "Thank you, miss."

"Oh I'm Kairi Algarve though we'll probably never meet again! Still, formality's always good. What's your name?"

"Zexion Tyr, pleasure to meet you."

She still hadn't broken eye contact with him and for some reason he couldn't bring himself to look away. She giggled and gave Alicia back. "I think we'll see each other again. You're too cute for me not to bump into you again."

Zexion's brow arched and he was about to say something demeaning in response but was caught off-guard by a girl wrapping her arms around Kairi. She placed her fair blond head on the girl's shoulder hugging her tightly. Kairi smiled affectionately.

"Kairi, you got ahead of us!" she said cutely. "You know that wasn't fair!"

"It was a race Naminé! You're just upset that I won! Oh meet my new friend. This cutie's name is Zexion Tyr; Zexion, this is my girlfriend Naminé."

Zexion nodded to the blonde who smiled sweetly. The way she held on to the redhead proved that they were affectionate toward each other but he had never seen a same-sex couple that was so open with their relationship. To tell the truth, he thought they were sisters with how much they looked alike. Naminé kissed Kairi's cheek before releasing her.

"I'm gonna go order us something, Kai. Dem, Rox and Sor'll be here when they stop being so slow."

"Kay, I just want a cappuccino!" Kairi called out as Naminé walked away. She looked down at Zexion. "You look overworked. I bet you're one of those business men that show up here all the time aren't you?"

"Obvious," he said a little colder than he had meant but he was still feeling the office follow him.

"You're a little young but I suppose this will be helpful. After all, it will be nice to see some new faces," she said digging a card out of her purse.

Zexion took it when offered and squinted his eyes at the picture of a butterfly taking off from a mushroom. "The House of Chanterelle?"

"It's a place to get a good massage, a bite to eat, and relaxing goodnight's rest. For you, I suggest a day trip."

The young business man could only stare at her eyes with a dazed expression. He wasn't sure what made him pocket the card instead of declining it but he was nodding politely and doing so. Kairi smiled at him and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"I'll see you there, maybe Sunday?"

"That's sounds alright, thank you."

"Zexion, I got all the coffee!" Yuna said.

If Zexion had been able to clear the cloudiness in his head, he would've been able to see the brief meeting of eyes between Kairi and Yuna. He would've been able to see the slightest of smiles on those pink glossed lips. Kairi's eyes left Zexion and she waved goodbye to them. Zexion watched her rejoin her girlfriend for a moment before picking up Alicia's carrier and helping Yuna with some of the coffee. He shook his head at Yuna's apologies about waiting and walked out the door with her. On the way out a group of people were coming in. A short blonde and brunette brushed past him in a hurry but he dropped Alicia's carrier when he bumped into a taller individual. He didn't have time to gasp before the stranger grabbed the carrier before Alicia was disturbed. Zexion found himself captured by eyes the color of a clean crystal lake and a strange dirty blonde Mohawk with a carefree smile.

"Hi there!" he said cheerfully. He handed Alicia back to him. "Be more careful, next time!"

With a wink and a smile, the blonde walked away to rejoin his group. Zexion couldn't help but look back. He didn't do it because he was in love with the blond at first sight; he was too practical for that. He didn't do it because he was carnally attracted to the man. No, he did it because he'd never seen anyone who a) looked as strangely as that guy did and b) he had never had someone look at him the way that stranger did. What was that look? And why did he look at Zexion, of all people, with that look?

Yuna watched the confusion and analytical process going on behind Zexion's violet eyes. She smiled secretly knowing the House of Chanterelle would corrupt another.

A/N: I understand that not a lot happened this chapter but this was just to set up the characters and to bring in my beloved pessimist/realist Zexion. This is turning out to be an awesome story and even I like it! Please keep reviewing so i can keep it going and all your comments are welcome, they help me shape the story better so don't hesitate to suggest things


	5. Episode Three

A/N: And here we have another wonderful piece of my affection starved mind. I'm glad everyone wasn't disappointed by the last chapter. I was so worried but I got such wonderful reviews that I decided to give everyone a treat. Now don't throw anything at me because it's not Roxas and Axel, they'll come up soon. This is just a sweet look into the emotional side affect of sex. Hope you enjoy! And please don't kill me for it being a little choppy. it's my first semi-sex scene!

This chapter has finally been beta-ed so there shouldn't be any mistakes woo

The House of Chanterelle

Episode Three

"**Daydream"**

Zexion stretched in his office chair. Morning had once again snuck up on him in the throws of his work and he had a fantastic crick in his neck that he hadn't noticed until he moved. He spun in his chair to look at the sun with disdain. His eyes were strained, his mind was weary and his head was heavy. The clock read eight in the morning which was pretty good compared to most nights when he ended up working until dawn and falling asleep in his office. Overnights were the worst. He decided to shut down his computer and call it a day. No reason in keeping himself awake for two days straight when he had managed to finish everything he was supposed to. He tried to crack his neck but found it too painful. He checked his watch to find that was indeed Sunday. Something was supposed to happen today, wasn't there somewhere he was supposed to be?

Oh well, he wasn't perfect. He couldn't remember everything. He walked out of the office noticing a few stragglers like himself who greeted him tiredly. At least he wasn't the only one so devoted to keeping this place running smoothly; he just bore the brunt of the work. He passed the night watchman, who was just getting off, and cast him a weary nod as he went to the parking garage elevator. That man was useless actually. He wasn't the stereotypical fat guard but he was_ lazy_. He doubted the man would even bat an eye if any of the cars were tampered with. He should really talk to Lae about that guy since two company cars were stolen out of the garage in the past three months. That was unacceptable.

When he got into his car he rested there for a while and stared at the skyline with a certain depression. His back and neck were killing him, his head had this overbearing pressure on it that just wouldn't ease, and finally, he was dead tired. Lae was lucky that he paid him well for this nonsense. He managed to control his body and start the car. The sooner he got home the quicker he could blackout for the rest of the day. As the engine roared to life he found himself looking down at a crumpled card on the floor. He picked it up and unfolded it, revealing the card the Kairi girl gave him last week. That's right, he took it out of his pocket when he was digging for his wallet on the way home Sunday. Absentmindedly rubbing his neck, he thought of what she had said. She said it was a place to get a message, meal, and a goodnight's sleep. Hmm, sounded like a fancy hotel.

"She said Sunday," Zexion muttered. He turned his head only to wince at the pain. "Why not?"

He plugged his cell into the car charger and pulled out of the parking garage.

--

"Are you sure he'll be here, Kairi?"

"Yes," Kairi said distractedly. She mouthed the names on the list that had been given to her that morning and Demyx was becoming an unwanted distraction. "He seemed like the punctual type and he really needed it. You know they're only drawn in if they need it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know how the game works. I've been doing itlonger than you!"

"Then stop pestering me!" Kairi whined.

"But what if he doesn't show up?"

"Then we lost the gamble," Kairi murmured. "They don't _always_ come when they need it. Free will happens to be a bitch."

"But I liked him!"

"You only saw him once!" 

"You only saw Naminé once and now she's one of us!"

Kairi growled and got up taking her work with her. "Wait by yourself then!"

Demyx winced and grabbed her arm. "You have to stay; he'll recognize you and you'll make sure I get him. Right, Kai?"

Kairi groaned at those big crystalline eyes that Demyx had managed to widen into an annoyingly irresistible puppy pout. She could only look for a minute before sitting down and beating her head on the table. Demyx cheered.

"Yay! I can't wait to see those pretty violet eyes and that sexy pale hair. Do you think it's natural? What do you think it is? Blue or Gray?"

Kairi checked off someone on her paper. "Ugh! If he hangs around you long enough you'll make it natural! And the color is called slate. It's a cross of blue and gray. "

"Neat! How did you get so smart anyway?" Demyx asked curiously.

Kairi paused for a moment at the question but shook her head. "I just like to read and knowing what the color slate is isn't book smarts."

Demyx impatiently sat beside her. "What should I do for him? Should I dance, sing, play something?"

Kairi dropped her head on the desk. "Oh god. Just do what he needs for you to do like always!"

"But, I don't want to run him off!" Demyx whined. "Oh no, what if he's like the others I've had?"

Kairi narrowed her eyes a bit. "Then he won't be your problem anymore; he'll be mine. Besides, he seemed very kind but sorta depressed."

"I know, those eyes of his made me feel bad for him. I wanted to stop and get to know him then but he seemed in a hurry."

Kairi smiled. "I know you'll be good for him"

"Kairi…how come you haven't had a client in so long? I mean you're one of the few who're allowed out to scout for customers."

She inhaled deeply. "Because I'm fine, I have Naminé so I only need one client every little while. I get my fill when I do my night jobs."

Demyx made a gagging gesture. "That must taste awful."

"Not any worse than normal. Now calm down, you're acting like an uke!"

"Am not! Besides, I'm equal opportunity! Though there is no way I'm letting my fluffy top me."

"Fluffy?"

"He's a fluffy in case you haven't noticed! He's never even been with a guy at all, Kairi. Didn't you smell it? Total uke material!"

"Oh my god," Kairi chuckled. "Demyx, you need a hobby."

"_He's_ going to be my hobby!"

Zexion wasn't sure what to expect when he had walked into the red and gold building. It was beautiful and seemed so peaceful in the shining sun. The quiet talking of other customers and servers gave the place a lively gentility. The beautiful clothing adorning some of the workers made them sensually alluring even without a show of skin. He was greeted nearly at the door by a petite girl. She barely looked eighteen with short black hair wearing a jade green Chinese shirt and loose kaki colored Capri pants. From the tough confident way the girl had walked over, Zexion believed she had never worn a skirt in her life. She smiled brightly which made Zexion feel better about coming here. Did all of them have that affect?

"I'm Yuffie Kasuragi! How can I help you?"

Zexion glanced around the place once more before giving Yuffie the crumpled card. "Um, a girl gave me this card and told me to come here today."

"Oh?" she looked at the card turning it over. "Ah! Kairi's your girl. You're lucky she's right in the lobby. Come on."

He ended up following her into a nice area filled with comfortable chairs and polished tables. People were relaxed being served tea or coffee while reading or working. Zexion was impressed; this place was very soothing and a good place to get things done. They came to the redhead he had met along with the man he had bumped into. Their eyes only met briefly and a cheery smile appeared on the blond man's face. Zexion turned away not sure of why he even looked at the man. Kairi smiled and rested her face on her hands.

"No baby today, Mr. Tyr? I'm glad you came to see me," she said gently. "Thank you, Yuffie!"

"No problem! Oh, mother wants to see you later on when you're not busy."

She nodded and waved for Zexion to take a seat. "So what can I do for you today, Mr. Tyr?"

"Well, you said I could get a good massage here and a good night's rest, right?" Zexion said sitting down painfully and stiffly.

Kairi made a pained face. "You look awful, to tell the truth. Normally, I would take care of you myself but as you can see by all these papers I'm totally swamped. But my friend Demyx here is open and ready-"

She blinked when she realize Demyx wasn't next to her anymore. Zexion tensed when he felt hands on his shoulders, his eye involuntarily twitching. A light rub relaxed his shoulders and then hands found their way on either side of his jaw. In a quick motion and a loud crack that made Kairi jump and grasp her own neck, Zexion's neck was twisted fast to the side.

"AH!" he cried out painfully and pulled away from the offending hands. He looked back at the grinning man and held his neck protectively. "What is wrong with you?!"

"How's your headache?" Demyx asked cheerfully.

"Wha…" He paused realized all the pressure in his temples was gone and his neck could move freely. He looked at the man in amazement. "Oh, but, how did you know?"

Demyx smiled sweetly. "I could tell by how stiff you were. It's not healthy to walk around like that."

"Thank you…" Zexion muttered.

"He's not our only Ulysses Butterfly for nothing," Kairi said still rubbing her own neck wondering how Demyx managed not to break the poor man's spine. "Will he do?"

She got the feeling that neither of them really heard her but Zexion gave a curt nod as he flexed his neck. That was the most painful experience he had ever had but damn if he didn't feel a heck of a lot better. He figured if this "Demyx" man knew what he was doing then it wouldn't hurt to try him out. Kairi smiled and stood.

"You'll probably be here all day. I'll need a driver's license or form of identification, your car keys, and your cell phone."

"You want my keys and cell phone?"

"Well the keys and license are to make sure you don't ice skate the bill and the cell phone is to make sure you're not disrupted in your session…" Kairi trailed off as she looked toward the check in desk. "Um Demyx, you can handle signing him in. Something just came up."

Demyx furrowed his eyebrow and glanced in the direction she was looking. He caught sight of one of their regulars being checked in with Naminé. He shook his head and took Zexion's arm. It was so cute how lost the man looked in surroundings. It was easy to tell that he was use to always being in control. Well, that needed to be fixed and he would make sure that he was the only one to do it. He took Zexion to the counter and got him to hesitantly turn in his keys and cell. All that was left was to lead him to Demyx's humble dwelling within the house.

Even though his neck felt wonderful and his headache had disappeared, Zexion still felt apprehensive about leaving his cell phone. If he was needed at work, he would never know it. Lae would give him an earful. Another thing on his mind was what exactly this place was. He had never heard of it and that was shocking because he knew all of the playgrounds of the rich and powerful. So, what was this place?

He was led down halls until they came out to a sliding door with an unlit lantern outside of it. He stared at it curiously while Demyx unlocked the door to his room and pulled it back letting light into the hall. Like a air tight seal, Zexion was assaulted with the most serene of sounds that had been held back by the door. Water, that's what it was. Rushing water making the thunderous sound of a fall filled his ears. The fresh untainted air that flowed out assaulted his lungs with the most appeasing of caresses. As his eyes were adjusting to the light, Demyx took his hand and led him into the room. The room was not at all like Zexion expected it to be. A natural pool was right in the center of the room with floating lily pads riding waves from a waterfall. Around it were smooth rocks and soft grass with various plants that were stimulated by water falling seemingly from nowhere onto them. The lights, he noticed, weren't sunlight; they were well placed florescent light in the ceiling. How did anything grow under a florescent light? Demyx led him further in to a nice bed swinging from the ceiling with comfortable chairs near it.

"This is…very beautiful," Zexion murmured, unsure of what to say about the aquatic Eden.

Demyx smile and gestured for him to sit down. "This is my room. I'm a bit aquatic by nature. I just love the water, especially at night. What about you, Mr. Tyr? What do you have like for?"

"Zexion is fine," he found himself saying. "I wouldn't know. If I had to take a pick I suppose it would be the heavens, the stars and the like."

The words simply rolled from his lips. He had never told anyone about his affinity for the cosmos, his passion for the interstellar unknown. He had put his desires and passions on the backburner to do what he showed the most progress in. He became a man of logic and strict business, leaving his telescope and books to become dust in his attic much like the actual knowledge itself. He couldn't really remember exactly what a quasar was or it's relevance in the world. He had left it all behind a long time ago. Why was it the first thing that came to mind?

"So you're a stargazer?"

Zexion watched idly as Demyx pulled back the soft bedding of the handing bed. "I wouldn't say that. I haven't watched the heavens in years. I don't have the time or the attention span."

"But it was your passion," Demyx said softly. "No one should abandon their passion. It's the one thing that keeps us alive and gets us through life."

Zexion rested his head against his fist. "I've never had real passion for anything. I didn't have a reason."

"Reason complicates things more than they need to be. Who needs it! Are you ready?"

Zexion looked up at the blond who grinned brightly and pulled him out of his chair. He removed Zexion's jacket and but was stopped when his fingers when to his shirt. Demyx blinked curiously at the hesitant look on his client's face.

"Zexion, what's wrong? Haven't you ever had a massage?"

If Zexion were a lesser man, he would've shuddered at the sound of his name rolling of the lips of his server. He held onto the hands that were poised at his shirt and dared to look up into those clear eyes. They bore into each other, one calculating and one curious. Completely different, but both were fascinated by other. Demyx hadn't expected the hands of such a cold, stressed individual to be so warm and so very soft. He turned his hand within Zexion's and felt the smooth pads of his fingertips. He touched a thin pale wrist that had barely seen the sun. His wrists were so beautiful much like a musician or a calligrapher. He traced the barely visible vein on the underside of Zexion's wrists and felt the repressed shiver beneath the skin. He felt the blood quicken and knew that while Zexion gave nothing away, he was clearly affected by the simple gesture. If that wasn't a complete give away, the telltale glaze over those deep violet eyes was. They were filled with a vast confusion and Demyx finally understood. He brought Zexion's wrist to his lips and pressed a gently chaste kiss to the warm skin there.

"You poor thing," he whispered caressing Zexion's face.

Zexion couldn't understand what was happening. His mind was hazy and the only thing he could see was those water-touched eyes holding him. The simple touch of his wrist made his legs feel week and that soft kiss to his skin had his heart beating out of his chest. He was by all means embarrassed that his stoic body was reacting like a hormonal teenager but he lost the will to pull away when Demyx's gentle hand brushed his heated cheek. He couldn't understand…and he didn't like that. He didn't like not being in control of himself but he was doing nothing to rectify it.

"I," Zexion tested his voice, thankful to find it steady. "I've never had a massage."

"Well, that's understandable with a busy man like you," Demyx said playfully. "A massage like the one you need requires you clothes to be removed. You have to be naked to make it easier."

"Naked?" Zexion fought against the blush on his cheeks.

"Yes, but you don't have to if you're not comfortable with it. I'm here to make sure you enjoy yourself."

Zexion took a calming breath, reminding himself that this was only a professional setting and that Demyx was merely doing his job. He had to stop behaving like a hormonally challenged twit. It wasn't like him at all.

"I understand. I don't mind."

Demyx's eyes flickered down to the hands that were still in his. "May I?"

A curt but hesitant nod allowed him to continue. Demyx carefully lowered Zexion's hands from his shirt and was glad that there was no objection. He unbuttoned the tailored white shirt with grace and slid it off of porcelain shoulders. He kept their eyes locked as he pushed the shirt aside and flicked it over the chair. He took a step back and allowed Zexion to remove his own undershirt. He couldn't resist biting his lip as he saw flawless skin beneath. Thin and lean like he didn't know the meaning of fat. He tilted his head in wonder as to why Zexion had been so reluctant to remove his shirt. He had a very nice form beneath that stiff suit. Deciding to leave Zexion with his dignity, he moved to get some oil for the massage.

"Just go ahead and get on the bed when you're done undressing."

Zexion watched the man go, disappearing behind one of the watering plants. A moment alone was just what he needed. He was mentally and physically exhausted from the all-nighter. That was the only logical reason he could give for his behavior around Demyx. Chalk that up with the fact that the last time anyone had ever looked at him this way was in his freshman year in college and it became more believable. He had never thought himself straight or gay. Hell, Axel joked that he was asexual since his interest in either gender was purely platonic. Zexion had never had the time or the attention span to nurse a relationship. Sex wasn't particularly different. He had been with three people in his lifetime and they had all been in his college days while he was being groomed for the corporate world. He couldn't call them lovers because they had been a brief joining of bodies. Now, here he was in this strange place with his senses being assaulted by this cheerful blonde and his gentle hands. This was too much and he needed a nap.

When Demyx came back, Zexion lay comfortably on his stomach with one of the thin sheets covering his lower half. He smiled at the drowsy expression on his client's face as he watched the waterfalls. He decided to give him some warning that he had returned.

"I see you've gotten comfortable."

Zexion lifted his head slightly. "I'd like to think this about as comfortable as I can get while naked and in the presence of a male."

"Ah, then you must be very comfortable then! Everyone loves my company because I can make you feel like no other!" Demyx said proudly.

"You bleed sunshine don't you," Zexion said blandly.

"Oh so mean." Demyx sat on the side of the bed, tying it off so that it wouldn't rock. "You'll change your mind."

"Sure."

Demyx poured the lily-scented oil into his palms and placed his hands on Zexion's spines. He shivered at the cold feeling but relaxed when those hands spread and began rubbing over his skin. Demyx's searching fingers pressed firmly into that pearl skin and found painful knots along with very stiff muscles. He found a particularly nasty one right below his neck that made a pained hiss emit from Zexion. He pressed down hard; rubbing and circling until he heard those pained noises turn to appreciative moans. Once the man seemed comfortable with his touch, Demyx took the time to straddle his waist putting his weight on his legs for balance. He used the extra pressure to press hard on those knots that seem to be causing his client the most pain. He smoothed his hands along Zexion's spine making that back arch beautifully beneath him. He traced hard circles over tense shoulder blades, wishing he could watch those pretty eyes roll as the pressure was lifted. He moved to the slender neck that he had taken the liberty to crack earlier. It was lightly swollen, as expected from the pressure release, meaning it would be the most sensitive patch of skin at the moment. Demyx had always had behavior issues then it came to clients he liked too much. So what was supposed to be a platonic message to break in a new customer was about to turn into a sensual message that Demyx would take full advantage of.

"Are you okay?" Demyx whispered in his ear.

"Mm-hmm," he sluggishly replied.

"Good." Demyx experimentally ghosted his fingertips over his neck with careful strokes. The results were more than satisfactory.

Zexion's body trembled and his hand clawed the sheets just a bit. He sighed softly when thumbs made lazy circles over the back of neck just below his skull. If his thoughts were hazed before, they were now covered in thick clouds in which he could only feel. They reached the base of his skull and a comfortable sigh transformed into a resounding carnal moan. Demyx smirked as evilly as his angelic face could get and he traced the pads of his thumbs along the base of Zexion's skull hearing unabashed groans escape parted lips. The way Zexion was so vocal without a hint of embarrassment proved that he was in a state of euphoria where he had no clue that he was making such carnal noises. He didn't know what he was doing or that he was expected to hold back such sounds during something as simple as a message. It also proved to Demyx that Zexion had had no real lovers in his lifetime. His body, as it undulated beneath his masterful fingers, had never known passionate kisses or the sinful touches of someone who was there for _his_ gratification and not their own. Once again the phrase "poor thing" came to mind when he accepted the fact that no matter how he said it, Zexion was a virgin to what it was like to be with a lover. The problem was that this new information fed those behavioral problems in Demyx.

Zexion gasped and froze when he felt those same soft lips touch his neck in a less than chaste manner. He felt them smile against his skin and part to suck lightly on the sensitive spots where he had just been messaged. He bit his lip and tensed as he decided to get up. It was then that two hands planted themselves on either side of his head and a soft whisper brushed past his ear.

"Relax or you'll ruin all my hard work," Demyx said playfully. "Remember, this is for _you_."

He didn't know why those words calmed him, but Zexion ended up lying down again and relaxing into the light kisses placed along his neck. Was this that fabled happy ending or something? Or was this just part of what was supposed to happen. He couldn't tell in this place. He shivered when his hair was nudged aside and a firm open mouth kiss found the base of his skull. He felt a brush of sharp teeth and his entire body turned to a tingling limp mess. Worst of all, he felt the beginnings of a blatant arousal pressing against the mattress. Demyx's hands slid down his side never stopping in his massage while he tasted Zexion's skin. He resisted the urge to prick that gorgeous skin and have a taste of the blood rushing beneath. Not yet was all he told himself. He pulled away and adjusted his position so that his hands were on his client's small hips. He massaged them gently, sneaking dangerous close to his rear but never really touching. He didn't want to spook him yet.

"How do you feel?"

"Mm…dizzy…" was the groaned out reply.

"Hmm, then I'm doing a good job." Demyx's voice then dropped an octave he admired how flushed the body beneath him was. "Turn around for me, please."

Zexion didn't even have to be coerced into obeying. He turned slowly though it was hard with how heavy his body felt. Demyx was able to get a good look at half-lidded violet eyes and flushed cheeks. What was even more the highlight of his day was the small rise in the sheets at Zexion's groin. He smirked and began messaging the man's chest, no longer concerned with being professional about this. After all, he had his client right where he wanted him. He reveled in the way that Zexion was so responsive to his touches but he made sure to keep his client calm in his aroused state. Tension would do more harm than good. He made his way up his hairless chest and toyed with every erogenous area he discovered until he was squirming. Yet, though it all, Demyx's soothing fingers kept his muscles like liquid.

Zexion didn't know what hit him when Demyx's lips found his. He surprised himself and had reacted instantly to the kiss making it deeper than Demyx had intended. The blond was impressed by how talented his lips were but forced Zexion to back down as he dominated the kiss. He didn't even have to ask for that cute mouth to part; a well-timed gasp took care of that. As their tongues intertwined, Demyx allowed his hand to follow the light trail of hair down to the arousal that had been so far neglected. When he wrapped his hand around the pulsing length, Zexion broke their kiss to gasp. It was only slightly disappointing but the desperate look on his client's face completely made up for it. He stroked gently while using his other hand to keep the building tension to a minimal. He held back an amused laugh when Zexion's hips began to involuntarily move in time with the rhythm. A loose hold had been kept up until this point so Demyx decided to be nice and give a little bit of friction. His fist closed a little tighter around Zexion making him moan and claw the sheets.

"Now that won't do," Demyx whispered. He reached out with his free hand and rubbed his wrists one at a time until they released the sheets. "Calm down. You don't need to force it; your body'll come when it's ready to."

He barely heard the words but he fought to stay in that nice relaxed state. His body was screaming at him to buck faster and make Demyx grip firmer. No matter how much his muscles tried to wind up, that roaming hand was there to massage the tension away. Demyx chose this moment to move his fist faster bringing out that familiar coil of heat Zexion hadn't felt in a while. The blond nuzzled against his neck, licking and sucking there while his hand pleasured him. He ended up biting his lip to hold back the cry that issued from his throat when his orgasm hit him but he wasn't allowed the luxury. At the same time he came, Demyx had sunk his teeth in his neck making his lips part in a strangled scream. Demyx's hand never let go, stroking him through the waves of the orgasm while sucking away at the wound on his neck. Demyx moaned against his neck as he drunk away the hot lust tinted blood from Zexion's trembling body. He felt his body relaxed beneath him as his breathing became slow and steady. When the pulse slowed he pulled away and licked the wound clean, making sure it clotted and closed. He looked down at Zexion and laughed when he found him asleep.

"Wow, you needed this more than I thought," Demyx said to the sleeping man.

He tenderly ran his fingers through soft fluffy hair, marveling at the peaceful expression on the man's face before pulling away. He got up and cleaned up the mess before covering Zexion up. He watched the sleeping for in his bed as he dimmed the lights in the room.

"Sweet dreams, Zexy," he murmured with a warm smile. "Hope you're dreamin' about me."

--

--

A/N: yeah this like, took forever! Heh -blush- my first sexual encounter and it happened to be one of my favorite couples!  

Okay let's explain a few things. There really is an erogenous spot right at the base of the skull. Now it works on some people and not others. I decided Zexion should be one of those sensitive type of people. It usually affective during a kiss or something but I thought the message trick to be more fun.

Next, don't get the idea that Zexion is a virgin who doesn't know what he's doing. That's not what I was getting at. I wanted to show how emotionally starved he was and how inexperienced he was with having a lover who was focused on him instead of themselves. He doesn't know how to act with someone shows him that kind of attention. It's called emotional starvation.

The whole point in this story so far is that sex can be two things: 1) instant gratification where either both parties are satisfied or neither of them are OR 2) it could be a true affection drived experience when concentrated more on the actual people rather than just the act.

This makes up the difference of wanting it and needing it. Zexion needed it and poor Axel didn't.

Thank you for keeping up with me. Reviews keep me going so GIMME!


	6. Episode Four

The House of Chanterelle

A/N: Alright everyone, I'm really sorry about how long these are starting to take but I just got a job and I work five days a week 2:30-11:00pm so it's gotten harder for me to stay awake long enough to type. Here's episode floor and I hope everyone is still reading. We now have a tangible plot outside the romance.

Special Thanks to Lolli for Beta-ing. And Love to all my reviews even if I don't have time to reply to all of you like I use to. –cuddle- I love you all!

The House of Chanterelle

Episode Four

"**Harsh Reality"**

Life…was a bitch! Axel had established that a long time ago. And when it was in its utmost bitchiest state it tended to target him for revenge. That would explain why Monday morning found him doing all of Zexion's work while catching up with his own _and_ ducking and dodging his dad's tantrums. How could a person who had never been late a single day in his life, nor missed an hour of work, just up and disappear? They had called his cell phone, which went straight to voice mail! They called his house in which his sister replied "haven't seen him, go away" and promptly hung up the phone! There was no other option left. They needed a scapegoat for all the work and guess who walked into the office at the wrong time? To top it all off, this stupid rain wasn't showing any signs of letting up. He was smart enough to drive the car to work but getting home in traffic on a rainy day was going to be some utter bull that he didn't feel like dealing with. If he didn't turn up by tomorrow, Zexion was officially on his freaking shit list!

He was holed up in the office taking everything that had been piled up on Zexion's plate in his absence and completing it. Riku, the lucky bastard, got off easy because he had to handle some stuff with his father. Then again, that predicament was a double-edged sword. Riku had more issues with Sephiroth than any kid with a parent. The sad part was that it wasn't even hate. Sephiroth was just freaking weird and a stick the size of an obelisk stuck up his ass. Axel leaned back in his chair trying to think of how to get out of the office without anyone noticing him. He was laying out the floor plan of it when he suddenly heard a familiar alto pitched voice in his office.

_"Red?"_

Axel lifted his head and found a very attractive and very wet Roxas leaning against his office door. He had the slightest of smirks on his face as those baby blue eyes practically glowed in the dim lighting. Axel shook his head, wondering if he was seeing things and when he opened his eyes Roxas was no longer there. Holy hell, he had to be getting overwork-

That thought was stopped when he felt soft firm hands slide down his shoulders, pulling him back into his chair. He looked up to see Roxas standing over him, his smirk still present. Axel mind didn't even bother to ask how he had gotten from the door to here. Roxas tilted his head and leaned down to kiss him softly. There was a held back lust in that kiss that even Axel could feel and he couldn't help but push the blond closer to him. Even as they kissed each other to breathlessness Axel could hear Roxas's voice speaking in low sensual tones.

_"I've missed you, red."_

"I missed you too," Axel found himself saying without saying. Roxas smiled and let one of his hands push under Axel's shirt while the other fingered the pulse at his neck. The redhead shuddered under the touch not sure why it was so sensitive there. Flashes of pearl teeth and the familiar pain spiked pleasure sparking from his neck pervaded his mind.

_"You remember, don't you?" _Roxas nipped at his ear and traced his lips along the shell of it. "_You remember how I left my mark on you? How I poisoned you?"_

Axel was only able to moan out the reply as he felt the same quick strike to his neck as if he were back in the House again. "Yes…"

He felt Roxas smirk against his skin. _"Then come back to me. I can give you so much more. I can do things to you that no other man or woman could ever hope to do. Come back to me, Axel. Let me mark you again?"_

Before Axel could respond a knock at his office door cleared his mind. He opened his eyes and found he was alone in his office. No Roxas, no gentle caresses or soft nips to his skin. It was him, a computer and a pair of very uncomfortable pants. He groaned and tried to compose himself.

"Come in and make it quick, I have things to do!" he said grumpily.

"That's a surprise, you doing work and all."

"Squeaky voice? Tapping high-heels? Perfume that smells like toilet water?" Axel muttered and looked up. "Oh god, what the hell are you doing here!"

Larxene gave a careful smile and walked to the desk. She took a seat and crossed her legs showing a little bit more leg than needed. Axel rubbed his temples somehow knowing where this was going to go. She probably wanted money.

"Larxene…please don't drag this out. Say what you want so that you can go home."

"Axel, I want you back…I'm still in love with you."

"Ooooh," he groaned. "That didn't come out the way it was supposed to. What the hell?"

"I told you! I'm not gonna repeat myself. I ran off on that little fling and I realize that I was no good by myself. You were the only one who could make me feel the way I did!"

"Oh boy," Axel breathed out rubbing his temples. "No, no, no! You walked out _my _door not vice versa so you shouldn't even be here. What, did the guy dump you or did you deplete your funds? What is it?"

Larxene narrowed her eyes angrily. "Don't flatter yourself! Your money never interested me in the first place! I slept with _you_ not your money and you were the one I loved!"

Axel was quiet for a moment. This was…entirely too damn funny. Larxene, one of the strongest coldest women he knew in the world of the rich and famous, was here in front of him trying to crawl back into his life with love. He didn't even try to hide that he was laughing. This was too good _not_ to laugh at! He stood up from his chair still chuckling and took Larxene by the hand ready to lead her to the door.

"Okay, Larx, we're done. You're obviously not yourself today. As great as it is to see you give away your last bit of self respect and as fun as it would be to just piss all over it, I have a lot of shit to do. So lets, um, do this another time when I have some good snappy comebacks and I'm not killing myself with laughter."

"Dammit, Axel, you're such a fucking inconsiderate bastard!" Larxene shouted as she turned on him and roughly kissed him while he was off guard. She pressed herself against him showing a passion that had never been in their relationship before and for once he was both thoughtless and speechless. It wasn't because of her, but the way she kissed him put Roxas into his mind again. The way Roxas had kissed him was something that made this kiss chaste and almost disgusting to him. He finally regained his senses and pushed her away.

"What the fuck is up with you?!" Axel shouted.

"I don't like repeating myself! You either take me back now or I'll make your life a living hell!"

"Whoa, vindictive psycho bitch! Wonderful addition to my shit-list! Look Larxene, I made it perfectly clear that I reeeeaaaally didn't give a damn about you and I thought you made it clear you didn't want to be with me anymore. What is all this?!"

"I realize that no one was able to change me like you did. I was on my way to being nothing more than a paparazzi whore until you took me up, made me over, and made me worth being in civilized society. I didn't understand that until I was away from you and without you I'm useless."

"So…you spurned Johnny No-name and came crawling back to me with all your pride on the floor. Great job, almost had me fooled. I fixed you cause your weren't even a suitable girlfriend, which you still aren't!"

"Then try again! We made it work for a long time, Axel. Whose to say we can't do it again. Maybe you could even learn to be a suitable boyfriend by caring about me."

"….but I don't like you!" Axel said blandly.

"I knew that already! You never liked me! But, I can live with you just tolerating me if you'd just stop being so stubborn. I'm not use to groveling but I will because I actually give more than two M&M's about you. Why can't you make an exception for me? I mean, we were at least friends…"

"Since when? Okay let's re-establish the point here! I," he pointed at himself. "Don't like you! I never liked you! You were a great lay and I wish you would leave it at that. You're like that bad Thai food that comes back to haunt you in the middle of the night. Now take your groveling and that tacky dress with your lanky legs out of my office so I can get some work done!

She stared at him with a great fury in her eyes like lightening dancing over a plain, but there was also hurt there and Axel almost felt guilty. "You stupid, stupid bastard! You're nothing but an insensitive jerk with the emotional capacity of a fucking marble!"

Axel watched her storm out with the clicking of her heels. Well, at least that was over, he didn't have to worry about her anymore…he hoped.

At Chanterelle, Roxas sat up in his bed eyes aglow. The irritation could be felt in the air around him and seen in the vengeful expression on his face. A woman? A lanky scantly clad woman had drawn Axel completely out of his trance and interrupted his seduction. And had nerve enough to kiss him! He wasn't one for emotional outbursts but suffice to say he wasn't happy. He groaned and rubbed his eyes hoping to calm himself down. He reminded himself that it was only a woman. It was only a woman and that's all she'd ever be. She couldn't beat him when he already had Axel trapped. He glanced at his mirror to see that his eyes had dulled back to their normal baby blues. He slid out of bed and walked out of his room sluggishly. Those mind trips always wore him out when he'd been without a client. He walked out into the garden, rolling his neck in the rain, enjoying the soothing drops against his skin. His blood was on fire in yearning for the redhead and god knew he hated that vulnerability. He hated it with an honest passion when he came across blood that made his body burn and a face that made his heart flutter. He promised himself that if he ever found that again, he wouldn't let his control slip. Now here Axel came flocking along with blood like purest cinnamon and Roxas's well built control was being tampered with. He really, really didn't like that. Still, he had the advantage. Axel, no matter how tempting, was still only human and he would fall like every man did. Besides, Roxas knew that he had all the time in the world.

"White Imperial…"

Roxas opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder. He smiled slightly. "Lord Xemnas, what a surprise."

"I just came from seeing Madame Valkyrie. She claims you and your brother are nearly ready for the Winter Solstice. Amazing considering it isn't even here yet!"

"Yes," Roxas said in a proud tone. "Sora and I have come a long way with Mother."

Xemnas shrugged and held out his hand. "Come, we should talk."

"We'll talk in the lobby," Roxas said pointedly ignoring his hand. "You know we're not allowed to make direct contact with you and the others, Xemnas."

Xemnas withdrew his hand and followed the Imperial to the lobby. Roxas sat comfortably on a couch and drew his legs up while Xemnas sat across from him, making as little contact with each other as possible. The older man didn't even bother to hide the way his amber eyes slid up Roxas's slim frame. The Imperial's eyes did not meet his. Instead his gaze was focused on the falling rain and he idly wondered where Sora was at the moment.

"So tell me, has Sora become as beautiful as you have, Roxas?"

"Yes, he has especially now that he is in love. You can't even touch him at the moment. Which is probably why you're wasting you time with me. We have developed so well that Mother wishes that we bring our chosen to the Solstice and make them part of the main event."

"As expected, she is still your Mother until you choose a true _okiniiri_ and take over her stead. She's chosen you and Sora to be her heirs when she finally steps down from the house."

"Sora has chosen, and I'm still preparing mine."

"I hope he or she won't be like your last. He was far to young and was a total disappointment. For him to have fallen so easily was a disgrace to all to your kind. Especially with one so powerful as you."

Roxas turned narrowed eyes to the man. "I made no mistake with Hayner. He was of the right age and he was groomed perfectly. Some of us handle the change differently or we don't handle it at all. We're not like you, we bear emotion. I handled the change, Hayner did not."

"Well, you bear such things as petty emotion, then why is it that Hayner chose to leave you behind and seek his demise. One would think your love for him would've been enough."

"One would think." Roxas whispered. "Is there something that you wanted?"

"Well, I hate to ask now that I've put you in such a foul mood."

"Just say it so you can get out of my sight, Xemnas."

"I came to ask as always, to become your Okiniiri before you made another mistake. I wish to allow you to rule me as you would any of your favorites."

Roxas stared at him for a moment and laughed. "Xemnas, your kind can barely afford to be in the place. You're not even allowed to touch us in any way shape or form, yet you want to be chosen by me? You want to become, of all things, _my_ _okiniiri_. Don't kid yourself. The answer was no before, it's no now, and it will forever be no."

"I assumed as much. Your beauty and power have made you all the more arrogant. I wonder if Sora will be so unforgiving as you?"

"I've told you, you're too late for that. Sora is a _danna_ and he has already chosen his _okiniiri _while I have not mastered or groomed anyone. He's well on his way and there's nothing you can do."

"Ah, but I was there during that fateful solstice when he sacrificed Naminé and gave her to Kairi as a gift. I remember his reaction very well but also, I remember how he had tried to leave the house."

"That was none of your business! Mother and I took care of Sora and he's stronger than you'll ever be."

"That may be, but this _okiiniri_ he's chosen is still a human with a life outside the world. When it comes time to take that all away, he will falter. Sora will be scared, and if he is scared he is vulnerable. If he is vulnerable, he is weak and unfit to rule. Tell me Roxas, will you be there in time to pick up the pieces of him again while still preparing your own _okiniiri._"

"Stay away from him," Roxas growled darkly, his deep baby blues shifting to an almost white blue. "Leave, eidolon. You've worn out your welcome."

"Ah then I should be going," Xemnas said nonchalantly. He rose from his chair. "Make no mistake, Roxas. You don't rule over Sora and you do not rule over this House. Not yet."

"Yuffie!" Roxas called. Yuffie lifted her head from her task at the front desk and met his angered gaze. "Escort Xemnas off the premises, his presence annoys me!"

Yuffie nodded and her dangerous black eyes turned to him. "Now, Lord Xemnas, do I have to blacklist you too?"

"Why of course not, Ms. Katsuragi. I'll take my leave. Don't worry, I know my way out."

Roxas watched with cold eyes as the man exited the lobby and left the grounds. Yuffie came over and placed a comforting hand on Roxas's shoulder.

"Kairi is still my _on'nashujin_ and she still owes Sora a favor for Naminé. You can have her watch over him more closely now. He can't touch us, Roxas."

"No, but he's right. Sora is weak and I can't protect him while I'm courting. Get Kairi to watch Sora more closely. You can handle her blacklist clients can't you?"

"Kairi wouldn't trust anyone but me with them! So, we'll keep a closer surveillance on the eidolons that come through as well and Sora won't leave without one of the Jezebels following him."

Roxas nodded. "I wonder where Sora is, anyway."

"Kairi's already watching over him. Call her and ask."

Sora took another drink of coffee with shaky hands. He had chosen to go out alone and knew Roxas would scold him for it. He didn't care. He felt so weak inside the house and he needed to get out for a while. He looked down at the swirling cream inside his coffee wondering why, so early in the summer, did time feel like it had stopped. Something was wrong, and he couldn't place what it was. No, that would be naïve of him to say. He was a little slow but he wasn't naïve or stupid in anyway or form. Ever since that night with Riku, he had felt the very real chill of what he had to do. He had felt the ring on his finger and everything in him despised it and the woman who forced it upon him. Why did he have such a bad feeling about what was to be done? It was simple; no woman could out do Sora. Heck, no human could out do him and he was the only one who could fulfill Riku's desire. Then he felt guilty.

He had ruined Riku for anyone who could possibly love him. He didn't even know what type of woman this Freya was but she couldn't love him with the state he'd always find Riku in. Could she? Admittedly, he didn't care about the woman and he could rid her from his life easily. So what was it? What was making him hesitate? What was this feeling of dread he got when he thought of destroying Riku's world? What was it?

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair and watched the people pass by in the rain. He should've talked to Roxas, he always knew what to do when it came to people. His brother had always been more experienced with people than he was. He wished he understood people better but the way he had come into the world of Chanterelle wasn't something that warranted a lot of respect. He was dying and Mother had taken mercy on him. Now, he was expected to take someone who was only dying in a sense and take them from the world. How could he be sure that Riku even wanted to go?

That was the problem wasn't it? After Riku had disappeared for those horrible cold ten months, he had begun to question his feelings. He loved Riku, on that he was perfectly secure, but did Riku really love him? As a butterfly of the house he knew how to give people what they need, but they weren't all knowing. They could play on the lusts, the desires, and the wants of a person but they could never play on the emotion. What Riku truly felt for him would remain a mystery until the solstice. Riku was a rich and powerful figure in the world of man while Sora was merely a butterfly running out of time. Riku could be toying with him like a common pleasure house whore and whispering words of love to him because of the heat of the moment. He'd been through this all before with his first client, who had only taken the time with him because he looked like a former lover. Sora had been still too attached to his humanity to understand what the man had felt and therefore assumed that it was love. The man wasn't cruel about it. He didn't even realize how he had led Sora by a string but, he supposed it was his own fault. Sora had been so easy with emotions in the beginning. However, he had grown older and colder, and therefore smarter. Now, his greatest fear was coming back to haunt him. Was Riku only using him to make amends for a loveless, affectionless marriage? What to do?

He paid for the coffee and left the Starbucks. He needed air and more time to sort out his thoughts. The streets were crowded and the rain showed no signs of letting up much to Sora's pleasure. The rain was his comfort and his salvation to this very day. He enjoyed the way it dampened his hair and the drops slid down his skin. Rain was a lover that was never fickle with him no matter how long it took for it to come down. Wandering aimlessly through the streets, Sora smiled a little at all the needs he felt resonating from the miserable people of the world. He was in so much better care than most people in the world so why could he never be happy about it? Maybe a trip to a Cinnabun would make him happy.

He took the usual route to the Cinnabun that was close to the House so he could head back afterwards, but what he found when he got there made him freeze at the door. Through the window, past the customers, he saw a familiar head of silver hair. He felt his heart flutter as his eyes recognized Riku standing at the counter and he started to go inside but he couldn't. A woman with long blond hair and crystal blue eyes walked to him with a beautiful baby in her arms. Riku turned to her with no real emotion in his eyes but a smile came to his perfect features when the baby moved. He picked it up and held it close, a warm loving expression on his face. Sora backed away from the glass. A child…that child was Riku's. Ten months… of course, his wife had been pregnant! Oh god…

As if sensing his heartbroken presence, Riku turned to meet Sora's widened eyes, but only briefly. Sora panicked knowing that he was not to be recognized outside the house. _Don't see me!_ In the flash of lightening and the blinking of Riku's eyes, no one was at the window. Only the sight of a familiar redhead and blonde passing by and it was so quick that he hadn't caught real sight of them. Sora stood against the wall of an alley, trying to catch his breath. His head spun with the rush of blood going to his head. He didn't know how long he stood there as his thoughts raced but he felt a wave of nausea and sudden warmth on his skin. Gasping, he looked up to see that the rain was light and the clouds were separating. Small bits of the sun were shining through. "No!" was all he thought as his knees betrayed him and he slid to the floor of the alley. All the nights of refusing clients were catching up to him, he was weak and rays of sun were making him sick! He gagged as his insides burned and fatigue took over him.

"SORA!" Kairi? What was she doing here?

"_Danna-san!" _Naminé? What…?

Hands roughly grabbed him and pulled him to his feet. Something was draped over him shielding him but the heat was far too unbearable for him to regain his bearings. He was dragged out of the alley, that much he knew and only when he felt the cooling air of the House did the darkness conquer him.

Riku stared at the empty space of the Cinnabun window for a long time in an almost daze. He arched his brow in confusion knowing that someone had been there a second ago. He shook his head when Alicia cooed and returned to minding his family. He must have been imagining things but he could've sworn he had seen Sora. No, that wasn't possible, he wasn't allowed out of the House. He was just missing the brunette. He wished he could show Alicia to him, he knew Sora would love her.

--

--

A/N: And that's the end for now. I wanted to put more but I felt it appropriate to end it there. We finally have some long distance interaction with Roxas and Axel though Larxene may be in the way a little. I hope you enjoyed the look into House affaires I gave you. Xemnas sounds like an asshole right? Nah, he just has some very bad misconception about the way the world works. Anyway, Sora's episode in the sunlight probably confused everyone. The sunlight doesn't kill them like most vampires, it makes them extremely sick and extremely weak against attack. Basically, it makes them vulnerable like being overheated or in the throws of a heatstroke. It's just more painful for them. Now in the next chapter hopefully I can get to some real Axel and Roxas interaction since they are the main couple. Sorry for the lack of that but like said this is a slow progressing story so bear with me!

**Eidolon:** this is actually an English word but you don't get the meaning until later since it's going to be a little different from the dictionary term. So don't spoil it for yourselves by looking it up.

_**okiniiri: **_the closest thing I found to "favored one"

**on'nashujin: **female master; mistress.

**Dannasan: **geisha term. It means "master, or husband" Naminé was made by Sora as a gift for Kairi. I'll explain more on that relationship later on in the story

Thanks for reading now review and make me a happy camper!


	7. Episode Five

A/N: My god it was near impossible to get this chapter out. In my mind I was thinking this has to work out this has to work out this has to work out! Yeah well I finally finished it with work on my back and searching for a new beta, which I have finally chose. Yeah, we've caught a live beta, we can take down those road blocks now. Anyway, production will continue to be slow because I'm in nesting at my job and that requires more attention than I really like to give, plus I'm working on my own manuscript. There's gotta be an easier way to get through the day. Anyway, I hope this isn't too boring for you. Don't worry. It all has a point and the next chapter will be the wonderful AkuRoku treat I've been promising you! So just get by with this and see you when I see you.

The House of Chanterelle

Episode Five

"**Reprieve"**

The weekend had crept on them so fast that it struck them like a rattlesnake. Zexion had returned to work on Tuesday with a strange glow to his skin and a spring in his step. He seemed to be in a good mood for the entirety of the week. It was barely noticeable, but the ones who knew him noticed. The stress lines had disappeared, and his blank stares had been replaced by something like a pensive expression. And now here they were at the company owned bar having a drink and relaxing for once. It had been such a bland week, and poor Axel hadn't had so much on his mind in a while. Larxene's visit had disrupted the Zen of his existence, not to mention he had been having daydream upon daydream about a certain spiky haired blond. The week had passed on without him and he hadn't really noticed until a comment by Yuna bit him in an uncomfortable place.

"Aww, I have the day shift at Chanterelle tomorrow instead the Friday night rush."

Axel looked up from his drink at her as she read over the piece of paper she had been sent. "And that's bad?"

"A little, I won't make the tips I do with my usual guests. But it's good because it means Tidus and I can have a night alone tonight," she mumbled. "I feel awful that I haven't gotten the chance to spend much time with him. It's just been go to work, come home, sleep, rinse, repeat." she sighed.

"Well hell, give the man a bone tonight!" Axel said smirking. "The guy has probably been having an affair with his righty ever since you became our secretary."

"Oh, you're so crude, Axel," Yuna hit him on the shoulder. "Besides, he probably hasn't even done that."

"What about you Riku? You and little Alicia got something planned?" she asked, turning to him.

Riku took a swig of his beer. "Me? I can't say I have anything constructive to do tonight. Alicia's staying with my mom tonight, because she felt like 'spoiling her as a good grandmother should.'" He quoted. "It's better than letting Freya stay with her, but that means the evil bitch is at home. So I'm staying clear of my house. What about you, Axel?"

"I'm buzzed, I'm horny, and I have no one to take it out on. I figured club hopping was in order, but I don't feel like having my latest fling end up on the news." he complained.

"Too right, the minute we pick up one floozy the paparazzi would be on us like white on rice on a swab of cotton in December snow." Riku grumbled.

"In a Charmin cloud," Axel snickered tipsily.

Yuna smiled. "Well, there's always the House. Sora would be so glad to see you two weekends in a row."

Riku felt a small smile come to his lips. "That would be nice. Sora and I could just relax, maybe just watch TV like a normal couple for once. Heh, we may even cuddle."

Axel rolled his eyes. "I think I'm going to puke before I'm even drunk!"

Yuna shook her head at the redhead. "It would do you some good to be in a relationship that didn't require you to wake up with a headache every morning and an empty wallet."

"I do not do that! I just end up with the ones that stick around and empty my wallet." he defended.

"Or the ones that trap you in relationships with bouncing little surprises!" Riku added.

Yuna sighed and rested her head on her hands. "Or the ones who you aren't even dating, and treat you like a side of meat just because they think that they're better than your stay at home boyfriend who does nothing but spend your money and drink beer with his friends."

Riku and Axel turned to Yuna in surprise. "Wow…you've got issues…"

"Or worse," all eyes turned to see a weary Zexion joining them at the bar. "You could be stalked by the Cougars of the rich and famous world who want a piece of you because you're young and successful, and they didn't get enough love in their childhoods."

Axel made a gagging sound. "Especially the ones whose husbands can't satisfy their needs anymore!"

Riku smirked. "Or the ones who are looking for a chance to snag the guys who are moving up in the world for better financial security."

Yuna rubbed her temple. "And end up taking away the good ones from honest hard working girls."

Zexion rolled his eyes and lifted his bourbon. "To Cougars!"

"And gold diggers!" Riku grumbled, lifting his glass.

"And sex deprived housewives!" Axel grinned.

"And good-men-stealing sluts!" Yuna joined in.

Their glasses clinked together and they drank their respective drinks. Axel glanced at Zexion, who seemed overly weary this evening. He sipped his drink slow with half-lidded eyes, and Axel idly watched a drop of bourbon slide down his chin. It wasn't a wonder why the cougars were out to get him or why Axel chose to tease him in the office. Zexion was good looking in his depressing sexual frigidity, and Axel admitted that a long time ago he wanted to have that cold fish of an assistant laid over his desk before his time at the company was up. But there was something different today. Zexion seemed… well, healthier was the only word to describe it. His usual paper colored skin was a soft, almost glowing peach. He even seemed give off less of his pessimistic air than usual. Also, there was this strange aura around him that dared anyone to touch him, and warned that those who did would suffer the consequences. Almost as if someone had left their mark on him…

Riku rolled his eyes when he saw how Axel looked at the open opportunity that was Zexion. Even Riku, picky as he was, thought that Zexion was something worth looking at and admiring. He wouldn't be surprised if the guy hated all things to do with "love" and "like." Axel, however, wasn't picky at all, though he did tend to lean more toward blonds. He had a thing for Zexion that bordered on a blatant lust. Riku just wondered if the young man realized how his superior looked at him sometimes. Though Riku wasn't one to talk; he'd gander at Zexion from time to time as well. The kid didn't realize just how attractive he really was, especially with that strange glow he had right now. Or was that the alcohol?

Axel reached out boldly and wiped the bourbon that had slipped off of Zexion's cheek. He ran his tongue over his finger and smirked as the younger rolled his eyes. He was as frigid as always.

"Zexion, maybe you need to get laid and call it a day. I bet you'd be in a better mood," Axel wheedled.

"Why is your answer to everything sex?"

"Cause it's the only thing he's good at," Riku commented.

"And damn proud of it!" Axel gloated.

"No thank you, I have somewhere to go tomorrow."

"What? Zexion has plans that don't involve work?" Riku said in surprise. All eyes went to Zexion.

"Yes, it's true," Zexion said, and sipped his drink. "I've got plans that don't involve any of you, thank god."

Yuna smiled knowingly and sipped her brew. "I suppose that whatever it is, it's doing you some good."

Zexion said nothing as he fought back a blush. He thought back to waking up in the arms of the man who had treated him with utter kindness. "Come and see me sometime," he had said. He seemed almost desperate to have Zexion back in his company. Truth be told, Zexion felt a certain desperation for it as well, though he would never admit it to anyone. Not even the people he considered his friends could know that he had been brought down by the simple, albeit strange, blond and a well placed happy ending. He didn't notice that the others were watching him suspiciously as he kept his eyes on his liquor, showing no signs of his inner turmoil. Axel arched his eyebrow at that and glanced at Riku, who shrugged. Axel smirked, shaking his head. Riku sighed jealously. Well, at least someone was happy with their life. Man, he should've stayed single.

After their cheerful evening bar banter, Riku and Axel walked to the car together. Well, it was more like Riku dragged Axel. The redhead never could resist getting drunk off his ass when he had the chance. The only problem was that the only times Axel chose to get drunk or even a little too tipsy was when Riku was in the direct vicinity. The night usually involved Riku driving a touchy-feely and perverse Axel back to his apartment, allowing him to crash on the couch for the night. Unfortunately, Freya was home, which meant that it was Axel's place they would be heading to.

"Riku, have I ever told you how much I loved that silver blond hair of yours?" Axel asked, slurring.

Riku rolled his eyes and unlocked the car door. "Not recently." He twitched when he felt Axel's fingers messaging his scalp.

"Oh! It's even softer than when we were in college!" Axel cheered, snuggling his face into his hair.

"Oh my god," Riku groaned. He broke away from Axel's hold and twisted his arm behind his back. "No touchy." he scolded.

"Ow, ow, ow, OW!" Axel squealed.

"Get in the car!" Riku ordered, pushing.

"Ah!"

He shoved Axel into the front seat of his car, though it was difficult considering the redhead was actively clinging to him like a teddy bear. He managed to get away and close the door on the grinning drunk and get in to the driver seat. Getting the car safely in motion wasn't the problem after that. The problem was keeping Axel from randomly groping him during the whole trip home. He had swatted, smacked, and even punched Axel a few times when they nearly ran off the road. A drunk and horny Axel was murder worthy. Eventually, Axel calmed down and was leaning against the window.

"Saaaay," Axel slurred. "Riiiiikuuuu."

"What, dammit?" Riku asked, irritated.

"Do you think… I'm... ummmm... I come off as an insensitive jerk with the umotional…emotional compacity of a marble?"

Riku arched his eyebrow as he stared at Axel for a moment, deciphering what had just been said. "Well, yeah. That's kind of obvious."

"Oh, yeah." Axel answered, eyes downcast.

That dejected tone did something to Riku that made him act nicer than usual. "But, I know you Axel. I know you well and I can honestly say you're not."

"Heh, I know I'm not," Axel sighed drunkenly. "You know, Larxene came to the office earlier this week."

"And that's the reason I'm putting up with your drunken stupor today?" Riku snorted.

"Yeah, she wanted me back. She said how wrong she was and how hard it was to swallow that made up pride of hers to come crawling back," Axel snickered. "She even tried kissing me and telling me that she was still in love with me."

"Yeah that sounds like Larxene in her 'I don't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of' mode." Riku smirked.

"And while any day I'd feel bad for a woman like that… when she kissed me I just got soooooo pissed off. And strangely enough, all I could think about was that little blond butterfly from... um... Chantilly… Chantey or whatever that place is."

"Ah, you mean Roxas."

A strange content smile crossed Axel's drunken features and he closed his eyes. "Yeah…Roxas. I think…I wanna see him again. He made me feel... different."

Riku smiled and watched his friend drift into whatever daydream he was concocting. So Axel was pining for Roxas, and Chanterelle was calling for them both. It was decided; once Axel got over his hangover they would go to Chanterelle tomorrow. He wanted to see Sora just as badly. He had so much he wanted to confess, and so much he wanted Sora to know. He wondered... had Roxas called out to Axel yet? It had only taken a day for Sora to filter into his mind and take all his pain away. It had only taken one day for Sora to beg him to come back, and nothing had stopped him from doing so. He glanced at Axel's forlorn expression. Had what Larxene said really gotten to him? Or was it just the poison finally bringing him down?

--

"He's coming Sora!" Roxas spouted triumphantly. "He's coming tomorrow and he's bringing Riku, too!"

Sora didn't respond as he sat on the bed with only his arms holding him upright. Roxas watched, concerned with the way his brother's shoulders were slumped and how he was bent over with his back hunched. He approached him cautiously, even though he knew Sora knew he was there. He climbed on to the bed behind him slowly, and sat closely so that his chest was pressed against his brother's back. Carefully, he slid his arm around Sora's small waist and pulled him back against him, like he used to do when Sora was small. The brunette fell limply back against him, blood trailing down his cheeks. Roxas felt it then. Sora hadn't fed at all since his tryst with the sun. Waves of guilt enveloped him as he wondered how he could've missed Sora's starvation. How could he not have noticed that Sora had taken no clients?

"Sora! What have you been doing to yourself?!"

"I…I can't do it, Roxas," he whispered brokenly. "I can't do it. I'm not like you, I can't do it!"

"Shh," Roxas rocked him slowly. "What's happened?"

"He…he didn't tell me," Sora sobbed. "But then again, why would he? I'm just some pleasure house whore! What reason would he have to tell me?!"

"Sora, tell you what?" Roxas asked calmly.

"He has a child, Roxas!" Sora cried facing his brother. "I saw him and his wife, and they had a baby with them! It was his, I could tell! Ten months, Roxas, ten months he was gone and I was too in love to figure it out. I can't do it!"

"Sora, you know Riku loves you," Roxas whispered, entwining his fingers in Sora's soft spikes. "I wouldn't have let you come this far with him if he didn't."

"It doesn't matter, Rox! I can't do it. For all of the love I have for him, I can't be selfish like you. I can't take him away from that child. Not even for a life with me!"

Roxas gave a sympathetic expression. He lifted his chin and wiped his brother's blood drenched tears away. Starving himself and mourning his own inability to have happiness had put Sora in a fatal state. He was in bad shape, and if he didn't get blood soon...He pulled Sora back to him and pressed himself against him. He ran his hand along the smoothness of Sora's throat, remembering what it had been like to see Mother's fangs buried in his skin. He knew what Sora was capable of, and knew that what he had to do wasn't something he couldn't do, but it was something he didn't want to do. Silently, Roxas broke the skin lightly at his own throat with his nail, knowing that he would be fine until Axel came. The scent of it caught Sora's attention, and the brunette nuzzled into his neck just as he had done so many years ago. Roxas cringed when Sora bit him a bit too roughly, but his eyes rolled as the same poison they used to calm their clients seeped into his own blood stream. His body grew too heavy to hold up with his own strength, but Sora caught him and gently laid him back on the bed. He drank greedily, only just realizing that he was so hungry. Roxas's soft moan and arching back did nothing but encourage him to continue. Sora only pulled away at his brother's soft urging.

"That's enough, Sor," Roxas said softly, exhausted. "I won't be able to make it back to my room if you keep that up."

Sora rested his head on Roxas's chest. "I'm such a burden to you. I ruined your good mood, didn't I?" he asked, saddened.

"No offense, but you couldn't ruin my mood even if you wanted to," Roxas said with an easy smile.

"You said…Axel was coming, right?"

Roxas nodded. "Tomorrow night. I felt him give in a few minutes ago, and if Axel is coming then Riku will be right behind him."

Sora's blue eyes dulled slightly. "I don't know what to do, Roxas..." he said, his voice filled with pain.

The blond lifted Sora's chin so that they made complete eye contact. "You'll do what we've always done. You wait for him to tell you and then you decide if it's worth it."

"But what if…"

Roxas didn't need to hear it to know what was being said. Sora was worried that things would end up as they had for Roxas. He was worried that Riku wouldn't take to the transformation... and he would lose him because of it.

Shaking his head, he pet Sora's hair and hugged him close. "I've watched you and Riku for far too long to think this will fail. If anyone can handle this, he can." he cooed, running his fingers through the soft spikes. "It's just going to take a little time before he'll be ready, and you have all summer and fall to slowly take him away from the world. Just keep doing what you've been doing."

Sora smiled and relaxed against him. "No matter if I do succeed with Riku, you know that you will always be my real okiniiri. You'll always be and-"

Roxas chuckled. "And nothing and I mean nothing will ever change that." he finished.

"But, is Axel really the type of person you want? I mean after-"

"I've made my peace with that, Sor. Axel will be mine; even if I have to break him for it." Roxas interrupted.

"If he really is the one for you, then you won't have to."

Roxas sighed and ran his hands through Sora's hair again. "No. You're right, Sor, and I really hope he's the one."

"Roxas," Sora said, sitting up with an excited look on his face. "Let's test them. Tomorrow when they come, lets test them!"

Roxas smirked. "Good idea. That way we'll both know; though I'm sure Axel will fail miserably."

--

Saturday night came quick for Axel, and it all seemed like a drug induced dream. His mind didn't fully awaken until he walked into Chanterelle beside Riku, who breathed in deeply. The look on his face was that of a man who had come home and tasted the freedom of it on his tongue. Little did Axel know, he had made the same gesture. The scent of the House was just as inviting as it had been his first time, maybe even more so. As they passed the doors, Naminé and Kairi bowed to them in a way that was different from the others. Axel glanced at them and nodded before turning to Riku.

"What was that about?"

Riku shook his head. "I wouldn't know. They only bow to the butterflies. That's a new one."

Penelo found them and instead of being shown to the VIP room, they were taken to a private den-like space with a burning fireplace and good wine. Riku looked just as surprised as Axel at this special treatment. Riku looked back at Penelo, who sat the table and poured them glasses of the red drink.

"Pen? What's going on?"

"Special request from the White Imperials. They said they just want to be with you guys tonight. If I were you, I'd enjoy it while it lasts. They hardly ever call for something like this!"

Riku's brow arched. "Is there something I missed?"

Penelo shook her head. "Nothing in particular, but Sora said he really needs to talk to you. For now, just enjoy it."

Axel was already sitting down and relaxing with his wine glass. "No problem with that. Just tell Roxy I'm ready and willing."

"Oh you don't want me to tell him that!" Penelo laughed. "Enjoy your evening gentlemen!"

She left them alone and Riku took a seat across from Axel. "This is… odd."

Axel's thin brows raised. "Is it really something worth complaining about?"

"Well, no, I guess not. It's just odd." Riku said, looking pensive.

"Hey, just enjoy the treatment." Axel smiled, lifting the glass to his lips.

"Which is exactly what you should do; enjoy what we're offering."

Riku shuddered as delicate hands slid over his shoulders and a soft cheek rubbed against his. A faint smile came across his face as he realized that these were hands that he recognized, but at the same time didn't.

"Roxas, you know better." Riku scolded playfully.

Roxas smirked and pulled away from the silver haired man, satisfied that he could discern his touch from Sora's. He locked eyes with Axel. "Sorry, just in a playful mood today. Right, Sora?"

Axel jumped slightly when a head of soft brown spikes nuzzled against his thigh. How the hell did they keep doing that? A hand trailed up his leg from his calf to his thigh while Sora was watching him with those big, deceitfully innocent eyes. Axel groaned when that little wandering hand came too close to the juncture of his legs. Sora practically purred against him as he shifted to sit between his legs. The brunette pulled himself up pressing firmly against Axel's groin and pushed his hands under the shirt he was wearing. Riku's eyes narrowed as he watched how Sora looked back at him nonchalantly as he weaved his spell around an unsuspecting Axel.

"You see how easy it is?" Roxas whispered in Riku's ears. "As much as you claim to love him, he's still not yours. If you ever decide to leave him, it'll mean nothing to him. He'll just find another and another until someone comes along who is willing to give up everything for him."

Sora pulled Axel closer and pressed their lips together gently. Riku's hands clenched into tight fists as he watched how they mimicked the way he and Sora kissed. But it was true, Sora could have anyone he chose. He only chose to be with Riku, knowing that at any time life could get in the way, and he'd be forced to let go. ...No. He had to hold on to the hope that Sora, even being what he was, wouldn't do something as cruel as to look to another when his world got in the way.

"It's sad really," Roxas continued. "Even after all this time, you still haven't told him everything. Even after he has shared our world with you, told you things that most would be slaughtered for knowing, you still hide things from him. Is that really the kind of person you want to be for him? If that's so, I'll get rid of you and give Sora someone more deserving, someone who won't abandon him just for the sake of a child and her slutty mother. Can you be that kind of person for him?"

Watching Sora climb into Axel's lap as they kissed passionately before him was more than he could bear. Axel would be perfect for Sora, for any butterfly in this place. He had no attachments, he was willing to do anything, and from experience Riku knew that if Axel ever chose to have a real lover, he would love them with a passion that not even he himself could muster. He scowled when Sora's lips parted and his fangs glinted in the firelight. When the brunette struck, Riku cried out.

"NO!"

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Axel yelled.

Riku blinked away the blurriness from his vision as he looked at Axel, and Sora was nowhere in sight. Axel stared at him with his brow raised.

"What…" Riku started, confusion marring his face.

"Man, and you tell me to stop drinking! You just started staring off into space a second ago, and then you go and jump at me."

Riku sighed and relaxed against his chair. He almost thought it would be convenient to think of that as a daydream, but he knew it wasn't. Roxas knew about his daughter and he had ways of letting Riku know. And if Roxas knew, then that meant…

"Hey! Don't go weird on me again! We're supposed to be enjoying the special treatment!"

"He's loud isn't he, Sor?" Roxas complained.

"You picked him. You're loud too, when you wanna be!" Sora retorted playfully.

Axel and Riku looked over at the entrance to see Roxas standing with his arm lazily wrapped around Sora's waist. Riku's eyes automatically focused on Sora, but saw that his eyes showed no real emotional attachment to him. He was giving Riku the same look he gave all his clients, and the man didn't like it. Roxas gave him a warning look before he let his arm slide from Sora's waist. He approached Axel with a satisfied smirk on his face. Those green eyes had already clouded over just by his mere presence, and the sight of his tongue sliding over suddenly dry lips was enough to make his satisfaction grow.

"You're late."

"Didn't know I was on a schedule blondy," Axel retorted.

Roxas laughed and pulled the man to his feet. "Sora, I'm taking my dinner early. You and Riku stay, you've got a lot to talk about."

Sora nodded. "Will do! Don't have too much fun, Axel! It could kill you!" he joked.

"Kid, if that's the worse you can do then bring it on." Axel gloated in return as they went through the door.

Roxas shook his head and tugged Axel along to his room. There was so much to do, and he only had one night to complete it. God, he just wanted to have this night for him and Axel, but, unfortunately, Axel still wasn't ready. Why did he always have to pick the hard ones?

A/N: I know what you're thinking. All that time for a blah chapter. Well if I would've went with my original plan for this chapter, then it just wouldn't have raised the questions I'm hoping for. So please review as you've been doing, and the next chapter will be ALL Axel and Roxas. No split in scenes, no focusing on different characters, just our key of destiny and flurry of dancing flames! FINALLY! Then we slide further down the rabbit hole and into the center plot of this entire thing. WOOT!


	8. Note from the estranged Akino

For all those who have been patient with me and waited for this story I have both good news and bad news. Good news is, this is not dead, bad news is, My writing style has greatly improved and I'm revamping this. I would love it if all of you would go to the vamped version and review and alert it just to let me know if it sounds better and if you still enjoy it. I'll be done revamping it before the month is over. Which means you'll have a Chapter Eight by the time the month is over. You really have to read it because I'll be adding scenes and changing things within the story and making it so much better. I'd really appreciate it if you guys showed me support and thank you for putting up with the hiatus!

Love

Akino Hakume!

P.S. the new version is already up! just got to my profile and find it ^ ^


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